APPLICATION:

The North Sterling Irrigation District (NSID) in northeastern Colorado manages a 65-mile canal system that delivers water from the North Sterling Reservoir to approximately 75 turnouts serving regional farms. These turnouts, equipped with concrete headgates, steel slide gates, and Parshall flumes, distribute water across thousands of acres of farmland during the irrigation season from April to September.

Historically, this process was entirely manual, requiring ditch riders to drive hundreds of miles daily to open, throttle, and monitor canal gates. Any errors or delays in gate adjustments could result in flooded retention ponds, wasted water, and inefficient irrigation.

NSID sought to modernize operations and provide real-time water monitoring, gate control, and usage accountability for both district staff and individual farmers.

CHALLENGE:

Managing 65 miles of canal gates manually posed serious operational challenges:

• Labor-Intensive Operations: Long days and hundreds of miles driven by ditch riders.
• Risk of Water Waste: Overflowing retention ponds due to throttling errors.
• No Real-Time Visibility: Delayed response to flow rate changes and gate issues.
• Limited Farmer Access: No data transparency or control at the farm level.
• Safety Risks: Extensive travel and manual labor created operational hazards.

RESULTS:

Jim Yahn, who has served as General Manager of the North Sterling Irrigation District (NSID) for over 33 years, has seen significant improvements in water management thanks to SignalFire Telemetry and automated gate systems. These technologies have helped NSID maintain consistent water flow, reduce waste, and boost overall operational efficiency. Ditch riders are now more productive, and farmers have been granted access to manage water flow remotely via their phones. This real-time capability has reportedly saved farm crews up to 8 hours a day.

Communication and water tracking have also advanced. Automated text alerts notify stakeholders when gate settings change, improving responsiveness. Additionally, real-time water accounting allows farmers to monitor their water allocations and usage instantly, leading to better planning and conservation. SignalFire Wireless Telemetry is proud to support NSID in enhancing sustainability and preserving water resources.