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1. shading water will slow the evaporation process
2. solar panels generate electricity

is that not common knowledge?

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Isn't the sun a natural way to remove harmful bacteria though, so like how much more stuff are you going to add to the water now the sun is gone?

I love this idea, but the two questions I have are:

1. Will the panels be mounted onto a hard structure like they do for parking or will it be connected via cables to create a net? A structure is way more expensive but a net might not be strong enough to support all the water on top in a serious rain/dust storm.

2. Is the amount of water potentially being saved calculated with the assumption that literally ALL the canals start to finish will be covered or is does it take into account gaps between properties and un inhabited areas?

Other than that not only is the environmental impact a good cause but there are gonna be loads of job openings for maintenance on those panels.

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interesting question - what would happen if like... half was covered? lol water's gonna flow into the uncovered side and get "cleaned" maybe?

With the right design for the support trusses, it should be negligible.

What if there's a flood?

Yes, flowing water is less likely to contain bacteria I believe. So might work!

Not to mention make a shit-ton of money for whoever wins the contract.

They use shade balls as is. I haven't looked into it recently, but shading the water isn't new so we should have some idea.

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Algae need sun to grow, no? You would actually be adding less.

Could Will.

The canals are owned and operated by utilities. Even if they pass through a farm or whatever, they're still owned and operated by utilities. It's kinda like a sidewalk/easement: you have to maintain it, but if the city wants to come in and tear it up to rebuild, there's not much you can do to say no. And more importantly, they're not split up (i.e. one company owns a three-mile section, then another company owns a few miles, etc.); they're owned by one company start to finish between the reservoirs they connect.

It's great because it reduces water evaporation and algae growth, and the water that evaporates anyway cools the panels to make them more efficient. Plus nobody gets mad about the eyesore because it's literally an improvement of otherwise unusable space.

Don't mind the natural habitat underneath. It won't affect that at all. Most canals in southern California that are dry so not soak water up quick, so that would be disaster if heavy rains came in. Unless it's reinforced as a matha funka.

Algae isn't bacteria.

Yes. This idea has been around for quite a while. Still not done.

It is, but that's a moot point for california's drinking water supply.

Isn't this already done elsewhere? I thought it was in either India or China.

India has been doing this for quite some time now, with very positive results.

Is this similar to the one done in Gujarat, India?

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Yes. But amounts that aren’t harmful. They also add minerals many people are lacking so that they can easily improve some health aspects.