A typical Levada (Waterchannel) of Madeira Island [225°] (messi 07)

©polytropos, on November 1, 2007, said:

(32.64534, -16.94959)

©polytropos, on November 1, 2007, said:

LEVADAS: Such watercourses are not unique to Madeira: what is unique is their accessibility and extent. You need only venture a little way off the main roads to begin to appreciate Madeira's myriad aqueducts - for their beauty, ingenuity of design and for the courage and determination needed to bring the concept to its present glory. The island's irrigation system now comprises an impressive 2'150 km of channels, including 40 km of tunnels - and the work started centuries ago.

The earliest settlers on Madeira began cultivating the lower slopes in the south of the island, cutting out terraces (‘poios’ in Portuguese). Working with contractors (who sometimes used slave or convict labour), they built the first small ‘levadas’, which carried water from springs higher up the mountainsides to irrigate their lands. These narrow watercourses plummet downhill, rushing and frothing with energy; their banks are often festooned with wild flowers.

By the early 1900s there were about 200 of these ‘levadas’ meandering over about 1'000 km. Many were privately owned and the undisciplined appropriation of water meant that the island's most valuable asset was often unfairly distributed. In fact, by the mid-1930s only two-thirds of the island's arable land was under cultivation - and just half of that was irrigated. Only the State had the money to implement a major building programme and the authority to enforce a more equitable system of distribution.

There was plenty of water for irrigation and torrents to spare for power. Clouds driven to the island by the prevailing northerly winds are caught by the central mountain chain and rain falls abundantly in the north throughout the year, while the south coast may be relatively dry for up to six months.

(Thanks AlexMatos for the Link)

©Daniela Brocca, on November 1, 2007, said:

Very interesting, polytropos.Ciao Daniela

Marilyn Whiteley, on November 1, 2007, said:

... and this shot (and your explanation) show me how interested my husband would be in visiting. (He is retired from teaching water resource engineering.)

AlexMatos, on November 1, 2007, said:

Great one polytropos, now you showing the levadas.

Those levadas have also a bit of morbid history, many men died while they were building it on the cliffs.

And this one is not to bad, you may have done the dangerous ones inside teh island...

Cheers, Alex

©polytropos, on October 19, said:

Suggestion for a new position by gunthy: Its the same Levada but 1 or 2 km away! Its here no doubt! I live in the house above! :D

32.64078, -16.93233

Thanks for your correction of position, gunthy. :)

©polytropos, on October 19, said:

New position:
32.64078, -16.93233