Special Issue on the Technology of Networked Control Systems, Proceedings of the IEEE, January 2007. Control of large-scale irrigation networks M. Cantoni, E. Weyer, Y. Li, S.K. Ooi, I. Mareels and M. Ryan Abstract Irrigation networks of open-water channels are used throughout the world to support agricultural activity. By-and-large, these networks are managed in open-loop. To achieve closed-loop water distribution management, it is necessary to augment these civil engineering systems with an appropriate information infrastructure - sensors, actuators, information processing and communication resources. Recent pilot projects in Australia demonstrate the significant potential of closed-loop management, which can yield a significant improvement in the quality of service, while achieving improved water distribution efficiency. This paper focuses on the modelling and closed-loop control of open-water channels from the perspective of large-scale irrigation network management. Several feedback information structures are discussed and the key design trade-offs identified. Key words: Irrigation Networks, Open-Water Channels, Distributed Control, Feedback Controller Design