Research and Development Office

Demonstration of Radio Telemetered Flow Monitoring and Canal Control Technologies

Project ID: 393
Principal Investigator: Tom Gill
Research Topic: Agriculture Water Supplies
Funded Fiscal Years: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010
Keywords: None

Research Question

* Can adoption of canal modernization technologies be accelerated through establishing geographically distributed field test/demonstration sites that would expand the opportunities for "hands-on" experience with control and communications technologies?

Need and Benefit

Areas targeted for establishing demonstration sites would be regions where adoption of canal modernization techniques to date has been limited. In the numerous areas where there has been minimal change in canal operations for decades, there is limited access for hands-on experience to gain a sense of capabilities that available control and communications technologies can provide. The demonstration facilities would be operated and maintained by cooperating ditch companies personnel with Reclamation researchers providing training and support. These individuals would serve as "champions" to relate experiences and knowledge gained from working with the technology to others in their locale with similar interests.

This is not unlike similar efforts which have proven highly successful in the past. The proposed project will target areas where there is little or no existing deployment of electronic control and/or communication equipment, and where there is therefore little opportunity for the area's agricultural water users and delivery system operators to observe capabilities or interact with operators of the technologies.

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Please contact research@usbr.gov about research products related to this project.

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