What do you get when 21st century “smart” technology hooks up with a 19th century irrigation ditch?
The short answer: more water-wise farming and a healthier river.
That’s the story of this innovative project on the Verde River in central Arizona, where forward-thinking farmers joined up with the Nature Conservancy and installed a solar-powered “smart” gate and water-level sensor on their 150-year old irrigation ditch. The automated gate allows the irrigators to take just the amount of water they need for their crops, and leave the rest for the river.