UC Merced and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority Execute Partnership Agreement that Opens Exciting Opportunities

A new five-year pilot study to place solar panels on the water in the Delta-Mendota Canal is just the beginning of a formal working relationship between UC Merced and the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority.

The two entities signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday, agreeing to work together using science-based and data-driven decision-making on efforts to mitigate climate impacts. The partnership also aims to develop a skilled workforce in the water industry, a crucial industry to improve the socioeconomic outcomes of the people of the San Joaquin Valley.

The pilot project includes deploying up to three different technologies to assess the viability, costs and benefits of floating solar arrays over large conveyance facilities such as the Delta-Mendota Canal. This research will also identify and address issues related to maintaining a canal with panels on it, explore the power generation potential and develop methods to quantify impacts on water quality.

The Delta-Mendota Canal Floating Solar Pilot Program is part of a $25 million investment through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, announced by the Department of the Interior, to install panels over irrigation canals in California, Oregon, New Mexico and Utah. These projects are part of an effort to decrease evaporation of critical water supplies and advance clean energy goals.

The Delta-Mendota Canal Floating Solar project is set to receive $15 million of this funding.

Outside of the solar panel project, the agreement will serve as a vehicle for several additional projects of interest to the Water Authority and its member agencies. These include opportunities for UC Merced's undergraduate and graduate students to work on timely and essential water management projects for the region and to advance the Delta Science enterprise.

"This partnership reflects our collective belief that education, research and practice must come together to create real, lasting change," UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz said. "Through this partnership, we are taking a vital step toward securing a future where water is managed responsibly, sustainably and equitably for all."