Suonen: Vital Irrigation Channels

The inhabitants of areas with little precipitation on the south-facing slopes of the Valais have had to cope with aridity for centuries. Through man-made channels called suonen, they divert water from glacial streams to their fields and meadows. The Wyssa suone in the Gredetsch Valley and the Niwärch suone in the Baltschieder Valley are fascinating testimonies to the struggle for vital water.