A robust control for regulated river systems

Many countries rely on irrigation to ensure that crops will have a regular water supply during low water periods. However, irrigation systems still waste too much water, especially during transport from the river to the cropfields. Xavier Litrico's PhD thesis research was focused on regulated river systems, which are very common in southern France. He developed an automatic dam gate controller tailored to meet farmers' water needs without drastically altering river discharge patterns.

Neste river being replenished from the Neste canal
Photo J.D Rinaudo