Many Oregon irrigation districts depend on century-old open canals that can lose 50 percent of water to evaporation and seepage. With Energy Trust support, Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) helps rural communities modernize aging irrigation systems, creating opportunities to generate electricity through in-pipe hydropower.

FCA’s Irrigation Modernization program has received widespread support, thanks to a unique public/private partnership that brought funding from Energy Trust and 15 different federal and state organizations totaling almost $50 million so far. More than 20 irrigation districts are participating, including Three Sisters Irrigation District, which has already modernized 59 miles of its 64 miles of canals and will have three hydropower facilities generating clean energy and providing a long-term revenue source for the district.