水圳文化資產的保存與傳承
-以草屯鎮「龍泉圳」為例

水圳一直以來都是台灣農業發展及工商業繁榮的命脈，不管是取用地面水、抽取地下水、截取伏流水、或是水庫、埤塘引水方式，從明清時代發展至今已經成功的帶動台灣農業也讓水圳管理單位-水利會成為成熟的公法人機構。在開鑿水圳佈建灌溉系統的同時，也引領周邊鄉村社區發展，漸漸的衍生出水圳流域生活特色文化，除了提供灌溉用水也能利用圳岸道路通行，清潔的水源也是早期生活用水，有特殊的水利工程構造物也是景觀地點，銜接溪流的圳溝也有豐富魚類生態，配合農時耕作同時有不少生活民俗活動，這些具有與水圳息息相關的事物是本研究的議題。本文透過現地調查方法，採「半結構式訪談」聽取相關人士寶貴意見，加上分析相關之研究專書、論文、期刊、報章、網站等資料，檢視與詮釋水圳文化資產並以觀察草屯鎮「龍泉圳」的營運與活動，找出其與文化資產的保存與傳承間的連結，為水利會未來在實務上從事活動計畫的議題建立一個理論的基礎。研究發現水利會除了推展三生農業外，涵蓋以公私協力治理方式協助政府推廣農田水利建設宣導、配合總體營造支援當地社區舉辦活動、結合地方文史團體建立地區性獨特文化與製成記錄、甚至於搭配附近景點成為特色旅遊帶狀風景線，為水圳營造開啟新的發展途徑。同時也要加強員工第三專長訓練、佈置現代化展覽設備、建構導覽解說團體培訓志工、甚至於朝建立環境教育場所方向努力等開創性之計畫，以吃果子拜樹頭，飲水思源頭的感恩心態看待水圳文化。

關鍵字

三生農業；協力治理；文化資產；環境教育

並列摘要

Waterways have always been a vital factor for the agricultural development and industrial and economic prosperity of Taiwan. Whether it is accessing surface water, pumping underground water, intercepting underflow water, or drawing water by reservoir or ponds; all these approaches, developed since as early as Ming and Qing Dynasties, has not only successfully driven the agriculture of Taiwan to flourish but also prompted the waterway administrative division, i.e., Irrigation Association, to become a well-developed public corporation. Constructing waterway irrigation system also stimulates the development of surrounding townships and communities, which gradually creates a distinctive waterway life and culture. Asides from using irrigation systems to supply water for agricultural purposes, people can also build roads along the waterways or use clean water from the waterway for their everyday life. Furthermore, those special hydraulic engineering constructions often become attractive local sceneries, not to mention a great diversity of fish species at the canals and ditches connecting to rivers and streams, or the various folk activities given according to the farming season. All these matters related to waterways are investigated in this study. This study is a field study using semi-structured interviews to acquire opinions from relevant personnel. According to information from books, theses, periodicals, newspapers, and websites, the researchers of this study inspected and interpreted waterway cultural resources and observed operations and activities related to Lungchuan Waterway at Caotun Township. The aim is to find out how these operations and activities are connected to the preservation and heritage of cultural resources. The results of this study can be used as a theoretical foundation for Irrigation Association's activity planning in the future. The study has found that besides promoting production-ecology-life oriented agriculture, Irrigation Association has also assisted the government, by either collaborating with other government agencies or with private organizations, in promoting agricultural irrigation, supporting local communities’ activities based on the overall development, developing and recording distinctive local culture in collaboration with the cultural and historical groups, and discovering new directions for waterways, such as integrating waterways with other local sceneries to form a sightseeing route. In this case, it is important to enhance employees’ additional expertise, to update the look of exhibition facilities, to recruit and train volunteers for touring; and if possible, carry out other innovative projects, such as constructing places for environmental education. Most of all, it is important to appreciate and remember all the great matters we have received from waterway culture.