SRP Teaches about the canals of Arizona
The Hohokam
"The present system of canals was developed by three groups: the ancient Hohokam Indians, the pioneers, and the federal government. Their stories are told below. To read about the historical development of each of the eight canals SRP manages, see canal history.
Archaeologists believe the
Hohokam Indians were peaceful farmers who inhabited the Salt River Valley for about a thousand years, from A.D. 300 to 1450. They are most noted for constructing irrigation ditches with stone hoes.
The Hohokam canal system traversed nearly 500 miles and may have served as many as 50,000 people at a time. The Indians lived here for more than 1,000 years, but left the Valley by about A.D. 1450. Nobody knows exactly why they left.
Roosevelt Dam