Acequias and the Hydraulic Genius of Shari'ah Law
You may not have heard the term "acequia," but it describes one of the oldest—and most sustainable—methods of irrigation on the planet. Too bad American ranchers have largely ignored it.
Dear Friends,
With the American West mired in what experts have called “the worst megadrought in 1,200 years,” we couldn’t let our Summer issue go by without a story on sustainable water management. “Acequias and the Hydraulic Genius of Shari’ah Law,” written by Roberto Lovato, was first published in our Winter 2017 issue, but it is perhaps even more relevant today. The story offers a back-to-the-future take on a traditional irrigation method used in Colorado and New Mexico for more than 400 years (and for much longer in Mexico, South America, and Spain).
You can also find the audio version of this story on our site, as well as on popular streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.
Next Friday, we’ll release the final story of our Summer issue on “The Craft of Resilience.” After that, we’ll be taking our usual Summer hiatus, returning to our weekly publishing schedule sometime around Labor Day. In the meantime, please keep an eye out for new audio stories, coming soon to our podcast channels.
I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read — or watch, or listen to — within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause when you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Editor & Publisher, Craftsmanship Quarterly
Summer 2022: The Craft of Resilience
Given our mounting travails these days (climate chaos, ongoing pandemic, worsening summer wildfires, among others), we're focusing this summer on pioneers who are rising to these challenges. From indigenous people in Mexico who reclaimed their ancestral lands from eco-terrorists, to a highly developed community in Italy that holistically treats addiction, you will meet artisans and innovators who are creating unique paths to help people thrive in our fast-changing world. By mixing ingenuity, tenacity, and hope, these brave souls highlight what might be called the craft of resilience.