Reclamation’s Veg Out Challenge winners announced

WASHINGTON -The Bureau of Reclamation announced the winners of the Veg Out prize competition. This challenge is designed find new methods to manage aquatic vegetation in canals, lowering cost and labor involved, while ensuring water quality and protection of downstream users.

Reclamation awarded Trent Lewis the $75,000 First Place prize for the AquaInject, Where IoT Meets Vegetation Control Challenge. The AquaInject uses "IoT" technology to remotely deliver precise amounts of herbicide to treat aquatic vegetation in canals, as well as monitor treatments and water quality parameters for accurate record keeping and adaptive management strategies.

Reclamation selected Jan Beetge for the $35,000 Runner-Up prize for the Packaged Herbicides for More Efficient Control.This solution proposed "packaging" existing aquatic herbicides in small porous particles with properties that attach to plant surfaces where the herbicide is delivered to the target plant, resulting in increased efficiency of herbicide use to treat aquatic vegetation in canals.

"Managing aquatic vegetation in our canal systems is crucial for ensuring efficient water flow and protecting water quality," said Prize Competition Program Administrator Christine VanZomeren. "We aim to identify, develop, and test innovative, sustainable solutions that are scalable and applicable across various canal types."

In this third and final phase of the competition, competitors that advanced from phase two, developed their prototypes and completed early small-scale testing. Additionally, competitors had to conduct recorded and live presentations of their solution in a canal or in a controlled environment to show solution functionality and ability.

Reclamation partnered with NASA Tournament Lab and HeroX on this competition. For more information on this challenge, visit www.usbr.gov/research/challenges/vegout.html.

Reclamation conducts prize competitions to spur innovation by engaging a non-traditional, problem-solver community. Please visit Reclamation's Prize Competition Center to learn more.