As much of California continues to face hotter-than-normal temperatures, it’s more important than ever to save water in our drought-prone state.
That’s why a new conservation project is focusing on California’s canals. Stretching across the state for 2,500 miles, these open canals are exposed to high levels of sun and wind, resulting in continuous evaporation and algae growth. The project — named Nexus — covered portions of those irrigation canals with solar panels, resulting in a 70% drop in water evaporation, an 85% cut in algae growth, and a 5% improvement in energy production from the modules themselves.
Reducing algae growth can cut down on canal maintenance costs, improving water delivery efficiency and producing substantial renewable energy along the way. According to the University of California, covering the full length of California’s canal network would save 63 billion gallons of water annually and generate 13 gigawatts of energy. That amount of water could serve more than 2 million people every year.
The Nexus installation focused exclusively on Turlock’s water district, and efforts to expand the project statewide have yet to gather steam. In the meantime, Fruit Growers Supply is here to help you save money — and water — with our custom-designed irrigation systems. We install those systems ourselves, and our supply stores carry all the inventory that growers might need to maintain their equipment. If you’re looking to make water-smart changes to your operation, give us a call today!