Chapter 03 of 5
The Great Drain (El Desagüe)
The catastrophic shift from living with water to fighting it.
- Clash of Ideals
Water as the Enemy
The Aztecs saw Lake Texcoco as a source of life. The Spanish, accustomed to dry Castilian plains, saw it as a hostile barrier to expansion.
- Turning Point
The Great Flood of 1604
Devastating floods convinced the Spanish that the Aztec system of dikes was insufficient. They decided to remove the water entirely.
- Engineering Shift
The Desagüe Project
Launched in 1607, the Desagüe was one of history's largest drainage projects. It aimed to carve an exit for the valley’s water.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What was the primary reason the Huehuetoca Tunnel project failed in its early years?
🛶 A City Built on Mud
- 01The Basin of AnáhuacExplore the unique endorheic lake system at 2,240 meters high.
- 02Tenochtitlan: The Amphibious CityHow chinampas and dikes turned Lake Texcoco into a food machine.
- 03The Great Drain (El Desagüe)The catastrophic shift from living with water to fighting it.
- 04The Sinking MegacityThe geography of subsidence and the collapse of the clay foundation.
- 05The Thirsty ParadoxSurrounded by water legacy, yet starving for a drop to drink.