The Black Land, another name for Lower Egypt, refers to the deposits of rich, black soil that the regular flooding of the Nile left behind. This rich, black soil was excellent for farming and, coupled with irrigation and inventions like the shaduf, allowed ancient Egyptians to survive and prosper in an otherwise harsh environment.  The Egyptians’ whole way of life depended upon these floods. The Nile today no longer floods as it once did. A series of dams and hydro-electric plants, like the one at Aswan, control its flooding and generate electrical energy. Such damming is a subject of great controversy in Northern Africa for many social and environmental reasons.