Abstract

TORTOLERO VILLASENOR, Alejandro. Irrigation and waterways canals in Mexico basin: economy, heritage and land scape in the Mexico of Porfirio Diaz. Hist. Caribe [online]. 2015, vol.10, n.26, pp.75-105. ISSN 0122-8803.  https://doi.org/10.15648/hc.26.2015.4.

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the relevance of lakes and canals in the Valley of Mexico in the late nineteenth century and at the eve of the twentieth. We argue that in between the ancient system of mule drivers and the modern system of railroads, we can find navigation systems in that Valley which are very important and complementary to the railroads. Lakes served to achieve a combination of goals: maximize food production related to its resources and to "chinampa" agriculture; prevent floods in urban centers; import fresh water and ensure canoe navigability. Multifunctionality of lakes was broken with the desiccation of the Lake of Chalco practiced at the end of the nineteenth century. We study these disruptions in the regional economy as well as the changes in landscape.

Keywords : Canals; lakes; landscape; economy.

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