A technical feasibility study* published in Nature Sustainability prepared by scientists at the University of California, Merced and Santa Cruz campuses proposes installing solar panels over the 4,000 mile state system of water canals.  It is estimated that the project would save 63 billion gallons of water that evaporates each year and would provide 13 gigawatts of renewable power annually.  Power generated would represent half of the new electrical capacity the State will need by the 2030. Actual solar installations are in operation over canals in India (see image)

It is an inconvenient reality that 75 percent of available water is in the northern third of the state of California with the southern two-thirds responsible for 80 percent of consumption.

The authors of the paper considered the physical requirements and technical feasibility but not the financial and political restraints. Notwithstanding, profound challenges require bold and innovative solutions.

*McKuin, B. et al Energy and Water Co-benefits from Covering Canals with Solar Panels. Nature Sustainability (2021) doi.org/10.1038/s4893-021-00693-8