U.S. Tribal Community Reduces Water Loss with Solar Canopies
The Gila River Indian Community says it has signed an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to install solar panels on
irrigation canals on parcels south of Phoenix, Arizona.
The first phase of the project will cover about 1,000 feet (304.8 meters) of irrigation canals to reduce water loss from evaporation.
The project is expected to demonstrate the feasibility of solar-topped irrigation canals and potentially add additional construction
length for community solar-topped irrigation canals in subsequent phases. The Army Corps of Engineers expects to complete con-
struction of the first phase of the project in 2025.
The Phase I phase of the project, with an investment cost of $6,744,000, will add an additional 1 MW of solar power generation
while reducing water evaporation within the irrigation canals. The project received a $517,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Recla-
mation, and funding for the construction of the second phase of the project is also expected to come from the Bureau of Reclama-
tion (Bureau). The Bureau is implementing a grant program established by Congress to pilot solar-powered irrigation canals.
Stephen Roe Lewis, state director of the Gila River Indian Community, said, "This first pilot project will break new ground, furthering
the community's role as a water resource steward and aligning with the community's tradition of innovative irrigation systems thro-
ughout the land."
Earlier this year, a coalition of more than 125 groups urged the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Reclamation to
evaluate the efficiency of solar-powered irrigation canals. The request, signed by several major climate and environmental organ-
izations, highlighted the opportunity to install solar power generation facilities on 8,000 miles of open irrigation canals. The group
claims that 25 GW of renewable energy can be expected to be installed in these areas, enough to power nearly 20 million homes.
The letter states, "The Bureau of Reclamation and the states through which the Colorado River flows are already considering unp-
recedented water conservation measures to protect the water supply of 40 million people along the river."
The solar-powered irrigation canal project implemented in the Gila River community is one of the first in the U.S. to break ground.
The project is expected to set an example for other regions facing the twin challenges of water conservation and clean energy goals.
For example, California's Central Valley Project is a large irrigation canal system that uses approximately 1 billion kilowatt-hours of
electricity annually just to pump water. Adding solar-powered generators to the system, instead of the diesel generators currently
in use, would make the entire water transportation system much more efficient.
The letter goes on to say, "Given the Bureau of Reclamation's long history of hydroelectric power generation, solar power genera-
tion on its irrigation canals would be a purely added benefit, and could even help with power generation shortages in the event
that hydroelectric facilities become inoperable due to low water levels." The practice of installing solar installations on irrigation
canals has gained popularity all over the world. Projects are underway in California, India, Spain and France, many of which have
large utility-scale capacity.