A village of the Ait Mizane tribe in the High Atlas mountains. You can see that the houses are built of stone in this area. Thatched roofs are the rule.

The stream you see here is an irrigation channel which is derived from the main stream running down through their valley. Like the roots of a tree, the irrigation system flows from water channeled off the main stream by a simple dam; the water runs down hill in ever-smaller channels, ultimately branching into channels that run through the fields.

Like the approach to work in the fields in this region, the irrigation system is developed along lines that are cooperative and rotative. Everyone contributes labor to build and maintain the system. When water is distributed out to the fields, it is monitored and divided in a constant round up and down a list. When water is available for your field, you'd better be there, or else you'll miss your turn until next time. And that could be as much as a week away.