The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) is proposing to assist the Gila River Tribe, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to temporarily install a measurement system device on an existing project in Pinal County, Arizona.
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance
October 10, 2025
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The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) is proposing to assist the Gila River Tribe, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to temporarily install a measurement system device on an existing project in Pinal County, Arizona.
The purpose of this project is to place a "Canal Floating Pan Evaporation Measurement System" (Measurement System) that would float beneath existing solar panels along a Pinal County irrigation canal. This project received a prior NEPA Determination of a categorical exclusion (CE) by the Bureau of Reclamation (CE No. PXAO-23-26). The Measurement System would be used to measure water hydraulics and discharge, evaporation, solar panel production and efficiency, and aquatic plant growth. NREL would be subcontracted to perform technical advisory services, data collection and modeling, installation of instrumentation, reporting, and other technical assistance related to the Measurement Device.