District explores hydropower potential

DELTA  — As the country looks to the agriculture industry for renewable energy in the forms of corn for ethanol and land for wind turbines, Delta Conservation District is assessing the feasibility of microhydropower.

"My thought is how we can develop alternative energy programs that are owned, operated and controlled by the farmer to benefit their lifestyles and keep them in a viable economic position, so they are not having to sell their land for subdivisions," said Eric Jessen, Delta Conservation District board president.

The district is in the process of developing an alternative energy master plan for the area and are starting with small-scale hydroelectric systems.

Microhydropower systems usually generate up to 100 kilowatts of electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A 10-kw microhydropower system can generally provide enough power for a home.

Recently, the district received funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado River Water Conservation District to map the potential of producing renewable energy from flowing water in ditches and canals, Jessen said.

Agriculture is a large part of Delta County, he said. There are about 1,600 ditches throughout the district, all of which have to be identified.

"We haven't really initiated the project," said natural resource conservationist Elisabeth Kautsky. "We are scoping out the best way to go about it."

To produce the map, each ditch needs to be identified, along with the size and amount of water flow. Ownership also needs to be determined, along with the drop in elevation.

"A lot of irrigation infrastructure is low head," said DMEA renewable energy engineer Jim Heneghan.

The head is the vertical distance the water falls. To build a microhydropower system, there needs to be a sufficient quantity of falling water.

Jessen said this fall makes his district a potential site for hydropower.

"We are blessed with a big elevation change," he said. And there are millions of feet of irrigation piping that deliver water to agriculture producers.

"With the elevation difference of the Grand Mesa (10,000 feet) and the elevation of the irrigation water delivery sites in the lower valley areas (around 5,000 feet), the potential for head is certainly there," states the district's news release.

Part of the mapping details also include power lines, as a feasible site must have a way to connect to the grid.

Jessen said his ultimate plan is to have a database and mapping system in place so farmers interested in renewable energy can see the potential on their property.

However, besides mapping feasible locations, there are also water rights and ditch ownership issues to work out.

"We have 1,600 ditches, all with different ownerships," Jessen said. Some are private property; others are shared under no contract; and some are owned by associations, companies or cooperatives.

Common ownership of pipelines could be a problem, Jessen said. If several people share a pipeline and one person puts a hydropower system in the middle of that line on their property, it is going to steal energy and water flow from those downstream.

"As the mapping comes together, we want to sort out these issues," Jessen said. "But first we want to identify our resources and then we can build from there."

Contact Kati O'Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com