Until the middle of the 19th century, the lands of the Prat were dedicated to the cultivation of cereals, with low yields, a lot of labor and low productivity. This situation changes with the introduction of irrigation, which will allow the substitution of crops. An important element will be the construction of the Dreta canal (started at the same time as the Infanta canal) which was intended to cover the entire western Delta. The work was stopped and did not resume until 1855 when the concession was given to the construction company of Eusebi Soler.
The Canal de la Dreta starts in Sant Vicenç dels Horts and continues, in the direction of the sea, through the terms of Santa Coloma de Cervelló, Sant Boi and El Prat (irrigation also reaches, weakly, a part of Viladecans).
The creation of a union of irrigators perfected the water distribution system. Since 1896, the union has directly administered the canal, which in 1971 was canalized and covered as it passed through the urban center of El Prat.