Acequia

The bone dry earth, cracked and lifeless under the hot sun begins to surrender to the cool stream of water flowing through the valley. The dormant seeds and sand worms that have lain in the parched soil now scamper toward the channel of freshness moving by with a heavenly sound like waves of gold splashing against the shore. Particularly in Spain, the Andes, northern Mexico, and the modern-day American Southwest, acequias are usually canals that carry snow runoff or river water to distant fields. Most acequias were established more than 200 years ago; many continue to provide a primary source of water for farming and ranching ventures in areas of the United States once occupied by Spain or Mexico. Some acequias are conveyed through pipes or aqueducts. The majority, however, are simple open ditches with dirt banks. An acequia organization often must include commissioners and a mayordomo who administers usage of water from a ditch, regulating which holders of water rights can release water to their fields on which days. This sound uses the following file from Freesound: http://www.freesound.org/samplesViewSingle.php?id=103268