#gilariverindiancommunity — Public Fediverse posts

#GilaRiverIndianCommunity moves forward with #SolarCanal project, first in country

by Shondiin Silversmith, November 15, 2023

"In an effort to address the ongoing drought affecting the Southwest, the Gila River Indian Community is taking an innovative step forward by launching its Solar Canal Project to construct the country’s first solar-over-canal project.

" 'A tribe is leading the way,' Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said, adding that the shovel-ready project will immediately address water conservation.

"The Gila River Indian Community and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers signed an agreement on Thursday in Sacaton, kicking off construction on the first phase of the #PimaMaricopa Irrigation Project Renewal Energy Pilot Project, which is expected to be completed in 2025.

" 'This new technology fits and supports our culture and tradition as we look forward to being sustainable in the future in a very real way,' Lewis said. The project may break new ground for the tribe, but he said it furthers their role as stewards of their water.

"Lewis said they’re looking at this in terms of a #BlueGreenTribalAgriculturalEconomy, in which blue represents conserving water and green symbolizes #RenewableEnergy.

"The #GRIC has over 150 miles of canal that could ultimately be covered with solar panels, and this project could be a game changer for creating energy.

"The first phase of the project involves the construction of solar panels over a portion of the GRIC’s Interstate 10 Level Top canal, according to the tribe, and the project works to conserve water and generate renewable energy for tribal irrigation facilities.

"David Deyoung, the director of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project, said there are two ways this project can conserve water: reducing the evaporative water losses and minimizing water use for power generation. The combination, he said, will save about 200 acre-feet a year.

"The project is expected to produce approximately one megawatt of renewable energy to offset energy needs and costs for tribal farmers, according to the GRIC.

"The #SolarPanels are expected to cover more than 1,000 feet of the canal as part of phase one of the project. Lewis said he hopes to launch phase two in December, which involves installing solar panels on top of more canals near #CasaBlanca.

"Michael Connor, the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works, called the project incredibly innovative work toward #CleanEnergy and water conservation.

" 'The community has helped us innovate our process for working with tribes,' Conner said in a video about the signing shared on X.

"Lewis said it’s great to see all the plans come to fruition, and he believes that the Gila River Indian Community is setting new ground for other tribes to follow."

Source:
https://ictnews.org/news/gila-river-indian-community-moves-foward-with-solar-canal-project-first-in-country/

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPower #DroughtProtection #WaterIsLife #PreventingWaterLoss #WaterConservation #SolarPanels #Pima #Maricopa #NativeAmericans #NativeAmericanNews

#California’s first #solar-covered canal is now fully online

The 1.6-MW pilot system is among a growing number of initiatives to put solar over #waterways. The approach could generate gigawatts of power nationwide.

By Maria Gallucci
10 September 2025

"A novel solar power project just went online in California’s #CentralValley, with panels that span across canals in the vast agricultural region.

"The 1.6-megawatt installation, called #ProjectNexus, was fully completed late last month. The $20 million state-funded pilot has turned stretches of the Turlock Irrigation District’s canals into hubs of clean electricity generation in a remote area where cotton, tomatoes, almonds, and hundreds of other crops are grown.

"Project Nexus is only the second canal-based solar array to operate in the United States — and one of just a handful in the world. America’s first #SolarCanal project started producing power in October 2024 for the #Pima and #Maricopa tribes, known together as the #GilaRiverIndianCommunity, on their reservation near #PhoenixAZ. Two more canal-top arrays are already in the works there.

"In California, the solar-canal system was built in two phases, with a 20-foot-wide stretch completed in March and a roughly 110-foot-wide portion finished at the end of August. Researchers will study the project’s performance over time, while a new initiative led by California universities and the company #SolarAquagrid will push to fast-track the deployment of solar canals across the state.

"Proponents of this emerging approach say it can provide overlapping benefits.

"Early research suggests that, along with producing power in land-constrained areas, putting solar arrays above water can help keep panels cool, in turn improving their efficiency and electricity output. Shade from the panels can also prevent water loss through evaporation in drought-prone regions and can limit algae growth in waterways.

"Plus, solar canals could offer a faster path to clean energy development than utility-scale solar farms, especially in rural parts of the U.S. where big renewables projects increasingly face community opposition. Placing solar panels atop existing infrastructure doesn’t require altering the landscape, and the relatively small installations can be plugged into nearby distribution lines, avoiding the cumbersome process of connecting to the higher-voltage wires required for bigger undertakings."

Read more:
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/california-first-canal-array-project-nexus

#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPower #DroughtProtection #WaterIsLife #PreventingWaterLoss #WaterConservation #SolarPanels

Native People Rush to Feed the People

by @bsnorrell.blogspot.com, #CensoredNews, November 5, 2025

"The #BlackfeetNation brought in a load of produce from the #YakamaNation, and #FortPeck announced buffalo distribution. #GilaRiver is giving tribal members $1,000 in hardship funds, as the government shut-down continues.

"Blackfeet Tribal Council Member Mike Comes At Night brought in a load of produce from the Yakama Nation in Washington State for the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. 'We made it home safely from the Yakama Nation with a generous load of produce for the Blackfeet People. I am honored, as a Councilman, to serve our people. I’ve traveled hundreds of miles to help
bring food home, and at the end of the day, I know I am doing my job. I also want to thank all the farmers who helped us with this food — may the Creator bless them and their families," Comes at
Night said.

"#FortPeck's #Assiniboine and #Sioux Tribes are distributing buffalo meat, and gathering groceries, after declaring a state of emergency in Montana.

"In California, the #Yurok Tribal Council approved $300 food assistance cards for Yurok because of the disruptions in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program #SNAP, and #CalFresh benefits, due to the federal government shutdown.
'Our goal is to help our most vulnerable citizens get through this challenging time,' said Yurok Chairman Joseph L. James, who said the tribe is working to mitigate the hardships on families from
the federal shutdown.

"In #Tahlequah, Oklahoma, the #CherokeeNation announced a $6.5 million response package. This includes cash payments of up to $185 per individual Cherokee Nation citizens on SNAP. It also includes over $1.25 million to support food banks and other non-profit food programs.

"The Cherokee Nation's expanded emergency declaration includes tribal members who are currently on SNAP living anywhere in the United States. The Cherokee Nation has over 470,000 citizens living in all fifty states. Cherokee Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr. said the Cherokee's network of 27 “at-large” organizations located in urban areas could access grants of $5,000 to address local food shortages.

"The #GilaRiverIndianCommunity, south of #Phoenix in #Arizona, is distributing $1,000 hardship payments to all adult tribal members, regardless of whether or not they are SNAP recipients.

"Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said, 'We want to make sure that, as a sovereign nation, we take care of our members during this unprecedented shutdown.'

" 'I hope that this payment brings some peace of mind during this time of uncertainty at the federal
level.' "

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/11/native-people-rush-to-feed-people.html

#ReaderSupportedNews
#CensoredNews #FoodInsecurity #FoodSovereignty #NativeAmericanNews #FirstNations #SNAPCuts