Zanja Madre

I appreciate “History Buffs’ Find May Threaten Plan for Site” (April 27). While the Zanja Madre is a crucial part of L.A. history, it is a symbolic part of Latino history in the city. Besides the missions, very little remains of the built environment of Latino L.A. The Zanja Madre provides a rare glimpse of how Latinos built the foundation for present-day L.A. Parts of the Zanja Madre are still in use.

William Mulholland is remembered as the man who brought water to L.A. However, more credit should be given to the ingenious work of the early Spanish and later Mexican settlers who developed a water management system to irrigate the fields and quench the thirst of the growing pueblo. Zanjaneros would open the gates along the Zanja Madre for a certain period of time to irrigate the fields. In turn the zanjanero would charge the farmer for the water by the period of time the gate was opened.

It is important to recognize this early infrastructure. The Zanja Madre is a monument to our past and its preservation can enrich the lives of all Angelenos.

SANTIAGO ROJAS

Alhambra