The Canal System of Mesa

The city of Mesa can be found in the U.S. state of Arizona. Geographically, it is located within the borders of Maricopa County. It is considered to be a suburb which is just east of the city of Phoenix. Furthermore, Mesa is in the central portion or the so-called heart of the East Valley. The Census Bureau reported that the city of Mesa has a total area of 133.13 square miles. 132 square miles are land, while the remaining 0.2 square miles are covered by water. In terms of population, the city of Mesa is considered as the 3rd largest in the state of Arizona. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a population of 452, 084 as of 2012, which ranks as the 38th most populous city in the United States. Mesa’s metropolitan area has a total number of 4, 329, 534 residents and ranks as the 13th largest MSA in the whole country.

Nationwide, the city of Mesa is considered to be the largest suburban area. It was formerly called Zenos, before the city changed its name to Mesa because of its geographical shape on the map. Mesa is the Spanish word for “tabletop”, which is the exact shape of the city in an aerial view. The city is a top tourist destination in the state of Arizona because of the existence of historical sites. All year round, the city expects thousands of visitors coming from neighboring cities and abroad.

In contrast to the urban jungle and lush greenery of Mesa today, the location of the city was just barren land 2,000 years in the past. It was the Hohokam people who first used the area for living and agricultural work. The term “Hohokam” could mean “All Used Up” or “The Departed Ones”, since their culture may be part of the prehistoric Oasisamerica, a region called the American Southwest. One of their contributions to Mesa’s history was the original canal system which can deliver water supplies to about 110,000 acres of land. It was noted that the said canal is considered as one of the most advanced canal systems in the New World, not to mention the largest, given the limited tools and prehistoric knowledge of the Hohokam people.

The canal system still exists up to this date; however, it is not the only canal in the area. In the 19th century, a new set of irrigation canals was built. It was under the leadership of three people that the construction was made possible. Francis Martin Pomeroy, George M. Sirrine and Charles Crimson were involved in improving the state of irrigation in the place, and even built some canals on top of the Hohokam’s original one. In 1878, they were successful in getting the water to flow.