The document discusses the historical use of water in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It covers:
1) The earliest systems of irrigation were developed by the Huarpe people using techniques learned from the Incas by diverting water from canals.
2) As colonizers violated irrigation rules, the first water institutions were created, such as the Water Magistracy, to manage water distribution.
3) The 1884 Water Law was enacted to address new problems from increased immigration and expanded crop cultivation. It created the General Water Department.
4) Dams like El Nihuil and Agua del Toro were built in the 1930s-40s to provide more hydroelectric energy for increased