Does this make sense?

[dnix71]

http://www.govtech.com/technology/Colorado-Hydropower-Irrigation-Ditches-030111.html micro hydro from irrigation ditches.

I guess the state of Colorado could use gravity if the water came from snow melt or rain. There isn't any legal block against taking some potential energy out of the water as long as the water still goes where it's supposed to on time.

[zap]

If you look at as something the government would do... then it makes perfect sense.

Most of the ditches in Colorado don't have near enough flow or head.  The old timers worked hard to get them to flow as far as they do following countour lines.

They mention the "mountains" which is great but not a whole lot of crops are grown in the mountains

$50,000... sheesh

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention... the majority of these ditches don't run all the time.  Some of them end at some distant reservoir but I would say the majority sit idle for maybe half the year.