The Patterson Irrigation District is installing 12-foot-tall, stainless steel screens along the San Joaquin River to prevent the fish from being trapped in water pumps. It's a project to rebuild fish populations while maintaining irrigation supplies for farmers.
The district is also replacing some of its pumps with new, energy-efficient models
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Growers are using toys to see how their farms are doing, and they aren't playing around.
Researchers are checking fields for diseases and watering problems with remote controlled helicopters.
The choppers are rigged with cameras to take high-resolution photos. Testing on the choppers is being done in Florida and three other states.
Researchers say the operations cost less than full-sized helicopters and airplanes.
