The Gila River Indian Community's Second Solar-Over-Canal Project is Complete: Offers Great Benefits

     The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District, in partnership with the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, announced the completion of the second of the first two solar-over-canal projects in the U.S. on December 11, 2025. There are two main reasons for the deployment: producing low-emissions energy and reducing evaporation losses in the canal, which are high in the desert heat. 

     The press release noted:

“It was scheduled to be the first in the Western Hemisphere, but our Phase 2 Casa Blanca Solar over Canal project actually was completed first.”

“The estimated cost of Phase I of the project is $6.7 million. It is expected to produce about 1,000 kilowatts of renewable energy to offset energy needs and costs for tribal farmers.”

     The canal is used for irrigation, so reducing water loss saves money for tribal farmers. The Gila River Indian Community runs one of the most comprehensive irrigation systems in Arizona.  Construction of Phase I of the project took 13 months. This project and another one about 25 miles away, both within the Gila River Indian Community tribal lands, are the first two solar-over-canal projects in the U.S. The area has also been under a record multi-year drought. 

     Below are some estimates for water savings from an article announcing breaking ground on the project in 2024.

“While current projections suggest a reduction in evaporation losses of about 50-60 percent (totaling about 7-acre feet on Casa Blanca Canal and about 5-acre feet on the one in Chandler) over the 25-year life expectancy of the projects, the amount of conserved water is potentially in the thousands of acre feet, DeJong said.”

     Solar canals have been popular in other hot and dry places where preserving water by protecting it from evaporation would help farmers, such as in India. In these areas, they can be considered to be methods of water conservation. These projects also represent meaningful collaborations between tribes and the US Army Corp. of Engineers.

     It was announced in June that the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) intends to deploy a similar technology, floating solar. They plan to float solar panels on a reservoir and power all their irrigation projects with distributed solar power. 

     GRIC completed its Casa Blanca Canal project in October, aided by a grant of over $5.6 million. The 1.3-MW solar project was built over a 3,000-ft stretch of the canal. The funding is from the Inflation Reduction Act, but future funding for subsequent phases of the project may have been or may be rescinded. 

     The projects can also be said to be mitigating drought.

“Workers have installed 2,556 solar panels across 2,782 feet of the Casa Blanca Canal, cutting water evaporation by nearly 50%.”

“The flowing water beneath the panels also increases efficiency through a natural cooling effect.”

“GRIC Governor Stephen Roe Lewis reportedly said in a written statement, “The Gila River Indian Community is proud to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking solar-over-canal project, which not only generates renewable energy but also conserves our most precious resource — water.”     

     Floating solar has also been “floated” as an idea for preserving the Colorado River and the lakes that feed it. It is estimated that 13 GW of floating solar energy is deployed globally, most of it in Asia. Floating solar costs are approximately 20% higher than land deployments, mainly due to the added cost of anchors, buoys, and/or pontoons.

References:

 

District celebrates completion of solar-over-canal project at Gila River Indian Community. Robert DeDeaux. U.S. Army. December 22, 2025. District celebrates completion of solar-over-canal project at Gila River Indian Community | Article | The United States Army

District celebrates completion of solar-over-canal project at Gila River Indian Community. LA District Public Affairs. U.S. Army Corp. of Engineers. December 22, 2025. District celebrates completion of solar-over-canal project at Gila River Indian Community > Los Angeles District > Los Angeles District News Stories

Arizona installer helps build the first canal solar project in the US. Billy Ludt. Solar Power World. July 22, 2025. Arizona installer helps build the first canal solar project in the US

The Gila River Indian Community backed by a $5.6 million Biden administration grant, activated nation’s first solar-over-canal project. Katarzyna Michalik. Northeast Valley News. October 30, 2024. The Gila River Indian Community backed by a $5.6 million Biden administration grant, activated nation’s first solar-over-canal project - Northeast Valley News

This Arizona tribe’s plan to build floating solar could one day help save the Colorado River. Jake Bolster. Inside Climate News. Fast Company. June 4, 2025. This Arizona tribe’s plan to build floating solar could one day help save the Colorado River - Fast Company

USACE joins Gila River Indian Community to break ground on solar-over-canal project. Stephen Baack and Robert DeDeaux. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. November 14, 2024. DVIDS - News - USACE joins Gila River Indian Community to break ground on solar-over-canal project