In the deserts of Southern Arizona, water is a commodity that is hard to come by. The Santa Rita Experimental Range is fitted with miles and miles of plumbing to stock cattle tanks and rims. Any breach in the plumbing system can be catastrophic to not only the cattle rancher and his livestock, but to the numerous native animals that also utilize these tanks.

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The 2018 University of Arizona design team, in coordination with the university's Department of Agriculture and the Biosystems Engineering Department, has created and implemented a water flow detection system that monitors key plumbing areas. Researchers with the School of Natural Resources and the Environment as well as the cattle rancher, now have the capability to remotely monitor the status of the plumbing system.