Art in the Heritage District – Stop 4: Lateral Deluge
Elaine Kessler
In the last article, we reviewed the history of how water came to be delivered to Gilbert. The next few articles will give an insider’s perspective to how that history comes to life in present day water features. First up is the far west water feature north of Park University called Lateral Deluge.* It is a large water fountain mimicking the way we recycle water in the desert. It is pieced together like a series of canal delivery ditches spilling into one large pool. The metal is from old SRP well casings. It features a couple of quotations etched in rock, the one below by W.H. Auden being my absolute favorite: “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.” The plaza here is in concentric circles to demonstrate the ripple effects of water when, say, a stone is tossed into it.
*This was the name that the design team and the Town used during design and construction. While this name was never officially adopted by the Town Council, it does help to explain the story behind it. The name is meant to tell a story about water delivery in Arizona and its agricultural heritage.
Allan, Aaron. Phone conversation. 20 May 2020.
Elliott, Amanda. “FW: Powerline Trail.” Message to Elaine Kessler. 4 May 2020. E-mail.