“Putting” the Shule River into the Computer (New Economic Frontiers: Deep Integration of the Real Economy and the Digital Economy)

　　In the fields of the Yinma Farm under Gansu Agricultural Reclamation, soil sensors probe the ground to monitor moisture levels, while compact meteorological stations track sunlight and wind. “In 2024, sunflower yields exceeded 280 kilograms per mu, a 15% increase,” said Zou Changsheng, head of the farm’s project department. He added that smart irrigation has ensured a bountiful harvest, reducing water use per mu from 650 cubic meters to 300 cubic meters.

　　Irrigation water is sourced from the Shule River. Flowing down from the Qilian Mountains, it nourishes desert oases, providing irrigation for 1.3442 million mu of farmland across 22 townships and towns in Jiuquan’s Yumen City and Guazhou County, as well as six state‑owned farms, including those operated by Gansu Agricultural Reclamation.

　　As one of the three major inland rivers in the Hexi Corridor, the Shule River Basin receives less than 70 millimeters of annual precipitation, while its annual evaporation reaches as high as 2,800 millimeters. Faced with water scarcity, how can the Shule River achieve deeper water conservation while ensuring adequate irrigation?

　　Water flows alongside the flow of information; water networks are connected to the internet, and reservoirs are linked to databases—here, an exploration of digitally empowered water‑saving agriculture is underway.

　　“We’ve ‘put’ the Shule River into a computer,” said Zhang Farong, deputy director of the Planning and Program Division at the Gansu Provincial Water Resources Utilization Center for the Shule River Basin. By leveraging technologies such as geographic information systems and building information modeling, the team has developed models that simulate, at scale, river channels, irrigation networks, reservoirs, sluice gates, and other infrastructure, thereby creating a “digital twin of the Shule River.” In 2022, the Shule River was designated by the Ministry of Water Resources as one of the first pilot projects for both “pioneering construction of digital twin river basins” and “pioneering construction of digital twin irrigation districts.”

　　How does this digital river function?

　　By monitoring water sources and leveraging large‑scale model simulations, the scheduling plan is continuously refined. With each data input, a steady stream of “clear water” flows from the Changma Reservoir on the large display, while the instantaneous flow rates at key points along the main canal fluctuate in real time, prompting the system to swiftly generate multiple scheduling scenarios. “Based on incoming water volumes and current demand, we identify the optimal solution and arrange for personnel to conduct preemptive inspections and maintenance,” says Xu Baoshan, Deputy Director of the Operation and Dispatch Division at the Shule River Basin Water Resources Utilization Center. With big data leading the way, the scientific coordination of the Changma, Shuangta, and Chijin Gorge reservoirs enables more precise allocation of water resources.

　　Monitoring water levels and manually operating sluice gates has been replaced by automated control, with precision advancing from “centimeter‑level” to “millimeter‑level.” With a simple command issued on a smartphone, the gate slowly rises, and water flows downstream along the canal network. “Each sluice gate is like a faucet; in the past, raising or lowering it relied on experience—estimating how long to keep it open and how much water to release,” explains Ren Xiaowen, deputy director of the Science and Technology Information Division at the Shule River Basin Water Resources Utilization Center. Today, sensors and an automated control system have been installed: “With a single click on a computer, the gates open and close precisely, releasing water exactly as needed.”

　　Monitoring and safeguarding the canals, they now “stand guard” by peering over the edge and conduct patrols with a mouse. In the past, the irrigation district’s 217-kilometer backbone canal system relied entirely on foot‑based inspections and vigilant eyes. “We’d cover 10 kilometers round trip in a day, but we could only keep an eye on one section at a time,” said Ren Xiaowen. “Now, high‑definition cameras have been installed along the main channels, complemented by an unmanned inspection system that enables real‑time video monitoring, allowing us to promptly detect and address issues such as leaks, overflows, and sedimentation or blockages.”

　　By monitoring water distribution and usage, precise metering ensures farmers have access to “clear‑cut” water. At the head of each secondary canal lies the point where the irrigation district meets its water users. A magnetostrictive level sensor stands beside the channel, transmitting signals and calculating flow rates; every half hour, it sends data packets to the central system, with each reading appearing on the mobile phone of Gou Yanli, the water‑management officer in Yueyadun Village, Shuangta Town, Guazhou County. “In the past, we estimated water volumes and took three measurements a day; now, with this new equipment, each irrigation cycle is automatically settled, so we know exactly how much water the village has used,” Gou Yanli says. Today, 698 canal inlets in the irrigation district are equipped with real‑time water‑quantity monitoring systems, enabling information sharing among water managers, user associations, and farmers. As a result, villagers use “transparent” water and pay with “peace of mind.”

　　By monitoring irrigation and conserving water, smart irrigation ensures crops receive adequate moisture while using less water. “The 2024 corn harvest was quite good,” said Li Junfang, a villager from Shihezi Village in Xiaxihao Town, Yumen City. “Now we use integrated water‑fertilizer technology—micro‑drip irrigation that waters fields on demand and applies fertilizer with precision—saving both labor and water.”

　　“Whenever you need water, just open your phone,” said Teng Yulin, a villager from Daijiatan Village in Yumen Town, Yumen City. By launching the “Shule River Smart Water Services” WeChat mini‑program, users can check their water usage and bills at any time and make payments with a single tap.

　　The large-scale water network is linked to smallholder farmers. The Shule River Irrigation District’s digital twin and high-standard farmland development are advancing in tandem, with on‑field integrated water‑fertilizer irrigation systems and reservoir‑level sensors installed, creating an irrigation network that combines reservoirs, main canals, digital twin technology, and high‑standard farmland.

　　With data, algorithms, and computing power advancing in tandem, the Shule River Irrigation District is steadily moving toward water‑saving irrigation. “Digital mapping and simulation of reality enable interaction between the virtual and the physical. We will further strengthen the application of new technologies, comprehensively elevate our levels of digitalization and informationization, continuously expand use cases, and further enhance our capacity for the efficient and intensive use of water resources,” said Zhang Farong.

Source: People's Daily Online – People's Daily People’s Daily (January 5, 2025, Page 02)

(Editor: Yue Hongbin, Niu Yong)