Ancient canals resurface as modern water systems fail.
As drought tightens its grip across the American Southwest, scientists are looking backward instead of forward. Beneath modern cities, farms, and highways lie irrigation systems engineered centuries ago by Indigenous communities who survived long dry periods without dams, pumps, or concrete. These networks were not isolated experiments. They were region wide systems tuned to desert climates that mirror today’s extremes. As reservoirs drop and aquifers decline, researchers are realizing these forgotten canals may offer practical guidance for water survival now.
