Canals and the Rise of Phoenix |
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People in what is today Central Arizona have always used the life-giving water source of the Salt and Gila Rivers. From 450 to 1450 C.E., an indigenous group of agriculturists farmed the Phoenix Basin. Archaeologists have called this cultural group the Hohokam. The term derives from the Akimel O’odham word for “those who have gone.” The people of Hohokam Culture called central and southern Arizona home. Beginning in 450 C.E., the Hohokam developed a complex system of canals from the Salt and Gila Rivers. The canals were the most advanced pre-industrial system in the Americas. The expansive canal system spanned nearly 500 miles. This allowed agriculture to flourish across the Salt River Valley. It is estimated that 50,000 people were able to utilize the canal system at one time. |
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Artist Charles O. Kemper depicts people from the Hohokam Culture farming in the Salt River Valley. "Water...Lifeblood of Civilization" drawings by Charles O. Kemper, AHS Tempe Library and Archives, Ephemera Collection PP-EPH Box 212, Folder 9 OV Arts and Leisure |
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On Sept. 20, 1929, Supervisor Theodore Rose started the generator of the Coolidge Dam, producing electric power there for the first time. Arizona Historical Society, AHF Subject Photograph Collection, B20/F6
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The canals were abandoned around 1450 C.E., and the irrigation system was filled with dirt, sand, and debris. In the 1860s, the canals were rediscovered during an influx of people moving to central Arizona. The Swilling Irrigation and Canal Company began its operation in 1867, and Jack Swilling, the founder of the company, utilized the ancient canals to bring water to the desert. The canals brought more people to the area. This birthed a new community called “Phoenix.” The community got its name from the rebirth of the canals. Much like a mythical phoenix, the community rose from the ashes.
After years of drought in the late 1800s, the need for water storage dams increased. In 1902, Congress passed the National Reclamation Act. This law provided loans for irrigation projects in the Southwest. Several dams were constructed during the early 1900s. The following year, the Salt River Project (SRP) was founded. Dams were built from the 1900s to1920s. These dams provided water storage and energy for Arizonans.
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After World War II, the Phoenix metropolitan area boomed in population. With the growth of this area, the first domestic water agreement with the City of Phoenix was contracted in 1952 with SRP to deliver water to the cities. These contracts reverted domestic water to cities to deliver a stable water supply. Throughout the 1970s to 1990s, dams and canals were expanded and renovated to accommodate the rapidly growing population in Phoenix.
Photo: Construction workers building canals in Phoenix in 1950. AHS, AHF Subject Photo Collection, FP FPC 100, B20/F1 Digital ID: 100-0002189
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Although the canals and waterways in the Salt River Valley have been modernized, there are many echoes from the canals' past. Historic canals can still be seen at the Maricopa Canal, the Old Crosscut Canal, and the Dutch Ditch. |
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Allison Avery
Museum Education Curator
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For Kids: Hohokam Canals & Museum-in-a Box |
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Looking for a fun but educational activity for your kids or grandkids this summer? "The Hohokam and the Rise of Phoenix" is an activity sheet that explores the ingenious canal systems through the Phoenix Basin. Kids can learn about the Hohokam, the prehistoric people group living in central Arizona, and explore the engineering behind the canals and discover how the canals were vital to the founding of Phoenix. |
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"Water: How Water Impacts Humans" is a museum-in-a-box program designed for students in kindergarten through second grade and covers the history of how Arizonans have used water throughout time. This virtual lesson teachers and parents multiple lesson plans, student handouts, PowerPoint slides, archival materials, learning objectives, and classroom discussion questions. The Museum in a Box curriculum is $30. |
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The password to the AHS Members-Only portal changes July 1 to Copper22 |
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Access the Members-Only Portal |
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The Members-Only portal features archived issues of members-only newsletters and digital access to sixty-plus years of The Journal of Arizona History. Click on the Members-Only logo or
- Visit azhs.org.
- Click on “MEMBERSHIP” at the top right.
- Click on the Members-Only logo on the left sidebar.
- Login using the case-sensitive password. Your Members-Only password through June 30, 2022: Roadrunner. Your Members-Only password starting July 1: Copper22
- Click on the JSTOR link to read 1960-2017 issues and the Project MUSE link to read 2018 through current issues. No further login is required.
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Connecting people through the power of Arizona's history. |
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Arizona Historical Society Membership Services | 480-387-5359
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