Farmers living in areas reliant on the Colorado River are using drones , on - farm weather sensors , soil moisture monitors and sensors to monitor irrigation and crop yield while using the least amount of water . Researchers said precision agriculture uses between 60 % and 80 % of the river 's water , but climate change and growing demand from cities has prompted the switch to precision irrigation methods . In the future , automatic irrigation could be used , with tiny sensors monitoring a plant 's water levels , experts said .
Farmers living in states reliant on the Colorado River are using drones, on-farm weather stations, soil moisture monitors and sensors to maximise irrigation and crop yield while using the least amount of water. Researchers said US agriculture uses between 57% and 70% of the river's water, but climate change and growing demand from cities has prompted the switch to precision irrigation methods. In the future, automatic irrigation could be used, with tiny needles monitoring a plant's water levels, experts said.