Flagship project explores opportunity to manage water through wireless technology
An innovative project to explore ways digital technology can be used to hold and redistribute water from rivers and tributaries is one of the first projects being funded by the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR).
Partnering with academics from Cranfield University the £250k project will focus on the catchment area of the river Strine which lies between Crudgington and Newport, near Telford, and will see wireless monitoring devices and sensors installed to provide near real-time information which, in the future, will help farmers and landowners manage their water supplies and mitigate flooding.
The project will gather data from the digital equipment to monitor flow through the watercourses and assess demand from farmers and growers to enable saving water for dry periods and controlling the release of water can be developed.
Dr Jerry Knox for Cranfield University said:
“This is a flagship project which will eventually benefit the agriculture and food production sectors.
“Advanced wireless sensor technology presents a unique opportunity to gather detailed near real-time data which will let us quantify water availability and its seasonal distribution.
“Understanding demand for agricultural irrigation and environmental protection is crucial for effective catchment water management.
“Our objective is to showcase how this data can inform the design of an integrated agricultural water resources management strategy and the insights gained from this will inform the modelling of a potential catchment-scale system, allowing excess water to be ‘scalped’ and directed to storage, then ‘spilled’ into areas of demand for irrigation or to alleviate periods of low flow.”
An increased incidence of crop failures in Shropshire can in be attributed to rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns. Recent climate projections from the UK Environment Agency have forecast a +6% increase in winter rainfall and -5% decrease in summer rainfall by the 2050s; more extreme river flows, with peak flows expected to increase by up to +27% in the 2050s, while summer flows could decrease by -82% as early as 2050.
This innovative approach not only offers a more sustainable water management solution but also opens new avenues for farmers to generate alternative income streams through ecosystem services provision, a key element of the Government’s ‘Environmental Improvement Plan 2023’.
Shropshire farmers and land managers are well positioned to lead this endeavour, capitalising on existing good practices and embracing new opportunities presented by advanced wireless sensor technologies to exploit emerging markets and secure economic sustainability.
Councillor Carolyn Healy, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet member for climate action, green spaces, heritage and leisure welcomed the project start, added:
“This project is an excellent example of how digital wireless technology can be used in the countryside.
“The wireless technology allows scientists to use near real-time data to develop an effective water management system that will benefit farmers and growers, and help protect consumers from disruption in food supply.
“Farmers have expressed concern about the exceptionally wet weather we have experienced over the last 18 months, which has caused them to delay planting crops and they cannot predict if there will be more drought conditions to follow. If we can develop this technology that will automatically protect our valuable natural resources it will benefit everyone.”
