Ruedas de Larmahue, Agricultural water wheels in Larmahue, Chile.
The Ruedas de Larmahue comprise approximately forty wooden wheels of varying sizes arranged along the Almahue Canal in central Chile. Each wheel has a diameter between 5 and 8 meters and features attached buckets that lift water from the canal into surrounding agricultural fields.
These water wheels were built in the early 1900s, initially planned for electricity generation but quickly adapted for irrigation when water flow proved insufficient for power production. Seventeen of the structures received national monument status in 1998, preserving them as examples of early 20th-century engineering solutions.
The craftspeople who maintain these wooden wheels today represent a living connection to traditional irrigation methods that have shaped farming in this region for generations. The structures embody how local communities have adapted their agricultural work to use the water resources naturally available to them.
The wheels operate from September through mid-autumn when water flow in the canal is highest and irrigation demand peaks. Visitors should expect the structures to be stationary outside this season and may find access challenging after heavy rain or in wet conditions.
Two local craftspeople received recognition as living human treasures for their knowledge in building and maintaining these traditional irrigation systems. Their expertise keeps this old technology functioning today and allows the knowledge to pass from one generation to the next.
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