Conclusion

The irrigators report that the system has been useful on a variety of fronts. Water deliveries at the head of canal and on-farm are more reliable. It has become easier to get a consistent supply to end users on irrigation systems. Reservoir releases are fine-tuned, thereby conserving water. In the lower Sevier River Basin, where salinity is a problem, steps are being taken to manage water quality to increase crop production in a cost-effective manner.

At the start of the river basin automation/Internet project, we were hesitant to speculate on where the projects might be headed, for fear of scaring off the water users. Today the water users are frequently ahead of the technologists. The water users are continually inventing new uses and innovations for their river basin Websites.

Admittedly, the process of using low-cost automation/Internet technologies to improve water management is still in its infancy. But, by any measure, the river basin websites have been successes. According to one water user: "When something goes down and I have to go back to the old way of doing things, it is like being blind after being able to see."