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Lupton Bottom Ditch Company
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Lupton Bottom Ditch Company

Lupton Bottom Ditch Company provides consistent flows while freeing-up operator and management time

“I no longer need to get up in the middle of the night or constantly visit during the day to make adjustments to our headgates. The FlumeGates adjust automatically, as the head changes.“

Rick Tkadlec, Ditch Operator

Situation

The headgates of Lupton Bottom’s irrigation canal divert water from Big Dry Creek to supply over 20 irrigators. The water level in the creek can vary dramatically throughout the day because much of the water is supplied from treated municipal waste water. In order to maintain the flow required by the irrigators and not exceed the canal’s allotted water right, an operator needed to make several visits to adjust the headgates throughout the day and night.

 
After the headgates were set, the operator checked the flow using a Parshall flume located downstream. The operator then made adjustments until the gates passed the desired flow rate. The State of Colorado monitors the flows via a data logger and transmitter attached to the Parshall flume. This flow data, along with flow data from other Colorado irrigation districts, is posted on the state’s website which kept Lupton Bottom Ditch Company’s operations in the spotlight demanding high operator and management attention.
  


Customer profile


Lupton Bottom Ditch Company, located in Fort Lupton, Colorado, manages a 20 mile long irrigation canal that includes three reaches. The company services more than 20 farmers that are irrigating a mixture of high value vegetable crops over 4,000 acres.

 

 

 

Situation

The headgates of Lupton Bottom’s irrigation canal divert water from Big Dry Creek to supply over 20 irrigators. The water level in the creek can vary dramatically throughout the day because much of the water is supplied from treated municipal waste water. In order to maintain the flow required by the irrigators and not exceed the canal’s allotted water right, an operator needed to make several visits to adjust the headgates throughout the day and night.

 
After the headgates were set, the operator checked the flow using a Parshall flume located downstream. The operator then made adjustments until the gates passed the desired flow rate. The State of Colorado monitors the flows via a data logger and transmitter attached to the Parshall flume. This flow data, along with flow data from other Colorado irrigation districts, is posted on the state’s website which kept Lupton Bottom Ditch Company’s operations in the spotlight demanding high operator and management attention.
  


Customer profile


Lupton Bottom Ditch Company, located in Fort Lupton, Colorado, manages a 20 mile long irrigation canal that includes three reaches. The company services more than 20 farmers that are irrigating a mixture of high value vegetable crops over 4,000 acres.

 

 

 

Solution


Rubicon implemented a Standalone solution which involved replacing the antiquated headgates with FlumeGates™. Rubicon’s Standalone solution is one of a range of solutions built from our TCC® (Total Channel Control®) technology.


The FlumeGates combine flow measurement and precision control in a single device. They are solar powered so there was no need to bring electricity to the site. Volumetric usage is accumulated and backed up internally in non-volatile memory allowing Lupton Bottom to download historical data through the FlumeGate’s built-in data interface or a local data logger. And the FlumeGate's integrated telecommunications provides Lupton Bottom with an easy path to remote management and control in the future.
 

 Before  After

Automatic flow adjustment

The Lupton Bottom Ditch operator now instructs the FlumeGates to maintain a constant flow rate. The FlumeGates automatically make opening and closing adjustments to maintain that constant flow regardless of varying upstream water levels.


Each FlumeGate uses its integrated water level sensors and its precision manufactured gate leaf to calculate the flow passing through it to an accuracy better than ±5%, exceeding the accuracy of the antiquated Parshall flume. The FlumeGate’s high duty cycle motor drive mechanism makes immediate fine adjustments (to within ±0.02 in) to the gate position as soon as a variation from the programed flow rate is detected.


Local interface 

Each FlumeGate has a local interface pedestal that allows the Lupton Bottom Ditch operator to monitor set-points and flow rates, manually adjust gate position, or set a flow rate. The operator enters the desired flow rate into the master FlumeGate’s local interface and both FlumeGates work together to maintain the flow.

Solution


Rubicon implemented a Standalone solution which involved replacing the antiquated headgates with FlumeGates™. Rubicon’s Standalone solution is one of a range of solutions built from our TCC® (Total Channel Control®) technology.


The FlumeGates combine flow measurement and precision control in a single device. They are solar powered so there was no need to bring electricity to the site. Volumetric usage is accumulated and backed up internally in non-volatile memory allowing Lupton Bottom to download historical data through the FlumeGate’s built-in data interface or a local data logger. And the FlumeGate's integrated telecommunications provides Lupton Bottom with an easy path to remote management and control in the future.
 

 Before  After

Automatic flow adjustment

The Lupton Bottom Ditch operator now instructs the FlumeGates to maintain a constant flow rate. The FlumeGates automatically make opening and closing adjustments to maintain that constant flow regardless of varying upstream water levels.


Each FlumeGate uses its integrated water level sensors and its precision manufactured gate leaf to calculate the flow passing through it to an accuracy better than ±5%, exceeding the accuracy of the antiquated Parshall flume. The FlumeGate’s high duty cycle motor drive mechanism makes immediate fine adjustments (to within ±0.02 in) to the gate position as soon as a variation from the programed flow rate is detected.


Local interface 

Each FlumeGate has a local interface pedestal that allows the Lupton Bottom Ditch operator to monitor set-points and flow rates, manually adjust gate position, or set a flow rate. The operator enters the desired flow rate into the master FlumeGate’s local interface and both FlumeGates work together to maintain the flow.

Results


After implementing Rubicon’s Standalone solution, the number of required site visits has dropped significantly resulting in substantial labor savings. Now the ditch operator visits the site only when downstream demand changes, not every time the upstream water level changes. Management is now confident of always meeting the state’s regulatory needs and more operator and management time can be focused on customer service and addressing other issues. 


Desired flow maintained despite varying upstream water levels 
Lupton Bottom is now able to automatically maintain required flow rate during periods of widely fluctuating upstream water levels. In the example shown below, the Lupton Bottom operator entered a flow set-point of 50cfs to accommodate irrigator requirements. During the five day period illustrated, the water level in Big Dry Creek fluctuated by nearly three feet. The FlumeGates automatically reacted to the upstream water level changes to maintain the desired rate and the operator was not required to visit the site.


Summary
  1. Desired flow rates automatically maintained
  2. Site visits reduced
  3. Staff time is now more efficiently utilized

 

Results


After implementing Rubicon’s Standalone solution, the number of required site visits has dropped significantly resulting in substantial labor savings. Now the ditch operator visits the site only when downstream demand changes, not every time the upstream water level changes. Management is now confident of always meeting the state’s regulatory needs and more operator and management time can be focused on customer service and addressing other issues. 


Desired flow maintained despite varying upstream water levels 
Lupton Bottom is now able to automatically maintain required flow rate during periods of widely fluctuating upstream water levels. In the example shown below, the Lupton Bottom operator entered a flow set-point of 50cfs to accommodate irrigator requirements. During the five day period illustrated, the water level in Big Dry Creek fluctuated by nearly three feet. The FlumeGates automatically reacted to the upstream water level changes to maintain the desired rate and the operator was not required to visit the site.


Summary
  1. Desired flow rates automatically maintained
  2. Site visits reduced
  3. Staff time is now more efficiently utilized