Installing solar panels over canals could save California 65 billion gallons of water a year, researcher claims
06/07/2021 / By Virgilio Marin
Brandi McKuin of the University of California, Santa Cruz claims that covering California’s canals with solar panels can save the drought-prone state around 65 billion gallons of water every year.
She explained that canopies of solar panels would provide shade to the canal water during the summer months. This, in turn, would save enough water to irrigate 50,000 acres of farmland or meet the residential water needs of over two million people, she said.
This came as California is currently experiencing widespread water shortages and dry conditions. Already, the state’s 154 major reservoirs are collectively at 71 percent of where they typically are on average. Federal climate analysts from the National Integrated Drought Information System called the outlook for California’s reservoir levels recovery “grim” in their most recent report.
“Water scarcity is a big concern for our state, especially when we have frequent droughts,” McKuin said.
https://www.climate.news/2021-06-07-solar-panels-over-canals-save-california-water.html#
