Terminology and nomenclature

Terms and explanations connected with levadas

Adufas

Opening in the levada wall, used to draw off water for a branch

Stream crossings

Places where small and large streams are crossed without the stream water mixing with the levada water.

Caixa da Levada ou aqueduto

The levada bed itself

Caixa divisoria

An extra bed beside the main levada, filled from it over a lower dividing wall (the start of a side branch)

Casa do Abrigo

Levada house: a building beside the levada for the workers and the "levada keepers"

Caudal ou «volume de água»

The volume of water carried by the levada (litres per minute)

Escadas

Stairs: the levada path becomes a staircase when the levada climbs a steep stretch

Esplanada

The path that has to run beside the levada for maintenance (and for walking)

Furado

Tunnel for crossing mountain ridges or difficult ground

Giro

In the broader sense, the length of a levada's irrigation period; in the narrower sense, the interval between 2 irrigation cycles for a given area

Hereus

Originally a farmer who worked an irrigated area; in the narrower sense, a co-owner of the water carried in levadas that were commissioned jointly.

They took part in the maintenance and elected a committee to administer the water rights.

Inclinação

Gradient: the fall of most levadas is 1m in 1km, even on the old levadas; remarkable!

Juiz da Levada

A conciliator appointed by the collective of Hereus for problems in administering levada rights and duties

Lanço

Levada branch: either a defined part of a levada, a branch off a main levada, or the splitting of a levada into several branches

Leaf and coarse-debris screens

Coarse-mesh screens for holding back leaves, branches and other debris

Levada

Literally: the led one, the guided one: an open water channel on Madeira

Levada inflow

Mini-levadas from springs or tributaries that lead water into the levada.

Levada confluence

Place where 2 levadas join into one levada

Levadeiro

Employee of a collective, responsible for distributing the water according to ownership and contracts

Mainel da Levada

The side walls of the levada bed, separating it from the earth beside it

Madre

Madre is the name for the place where a levada begins: often a barrier in a river that leads the water into the levada, more rarely a spring or the end of another levada

Minadoiros

Small springs

Nascentes

Larger springs

Navio

Ship: a transport barge used to carry objects along the levadas

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Ponte

Levada bridges for crossing a stream or a gorge

Sacadas

Stones, tufts of grass or metal plates set into the flow to divert part of the water onto the neighbouring fields

Terral

This is the share a Hereus has to pay, according to his holding, towards maintenance and staff costs. If the person using the water is not a

Hereus, he did not have to pay Terral, but had to make up the same share by taking on a Vigia.

Tournadouro or Tomadoiro

This is the place where the water enters the area to be irrigated.

Tubo

Pipe: stretches where a levada is difficult to maintain (rockfall, landslide) are often spanned with pipes

or streams or gorges are crossed with hanging pipes

Vigias

Literally: watches. During the irrigation periods, various vigilantes patrol along the levada to keep the flow in order and remove foreign matter

Vigilante

Literally: watchman. A person who carries out a Vigia.

Water regulators and valves

Small flap valves for regulating the amount of water