Many of the water developments that SCBS has created are “replacement” water, that is, the original water source has become unavailable to sheep due to ground water depletion, human occupation, development, or other avenues of encroachment.  Because the sheep are fully dependent on some of these water sources it is imperative that we never let them run dry.  In many instances, the sheep populations has grown beyond that envisioned when the systems were constructed forcing us to haul water by truck to these sites to keep them filled during the hot summer months.  We have installed remote monitoring stations that utilize modern electronics and satellite communications to keep us informed of the amount of water in the tanks without having to dispatch a volunteer to visit the site.  Several of the newest systems also provide us with rainfall data which can indicate the collection efficiency of the system.  Currently, SCBS has two brands of monitoring station, Stevens and Automata.  The following charts are some examples of the data provided from these systems.

Update:  We no longer have any Stevens systems, their satellite coverage became too unreliable for our needs.  We currently have 16 Automata/McCrometer systems.  A log in is required to view data; please contact a board member for a user name and password.  Click for McCrometer website.