The Story

FARMERS NEED WATER TO GROW CROPS.  To get this water, farmers must maintain a water delivery system that can transport water from a river or lake to their farm.  Since these systems travel through rugged terrain for many miles, farmers and agencies have spent decades trying to figure out a screening technology that keeps fish, sticks, and leaves from entering the canals, clogging the system, and preventing the flow of water.  While maintaining these systems is costly for farmers, it has proven to be an equally large problem for fish.

IN SEARCH OF A WAY to reduce their costs, protect fish and keep their own canals free of debris, Farmers Irrigation District (FID) in Hood River, Oregon spent ten years developing the Farmers Screen. Having received state and federal agency approval for the technology, FID patented their unique screening device. To honor the collaborative effort of farmers, agencies and nonprofits that supported the screen's success, the technology is licensed to the Farmers Conservation Alliance (FCA) with the condition that profits be used for the united benefit of fish, farms and families.

WITH MORE THAN 150,000 UNSCREENED DIVERSIONS in the Northwest alone, the Farmers Screen is an exciting opportunity to protect millions of fish and save farmers millions of dollars in reduced operation and maintenance costs.

A Solution

THE FARMERS SCREEN is a horizontal, flat-plate irrigation screen. Designed to be installed in an off-stream channel, cleaning water, fish and debris pass over the Farmers Screen. Inside the Farmers Screen, the 50% open screen material lies parallel to the water's surface separating the cleaning water and diverted water. While the diverted water travels slowly through the screen, the remaining cleaning water moves quickly across the screen surface and back to the river. It is this combination of minimal downward velocity and high sweeping velocity that manages debris and protects fish. Finally, the taper and weir walls ensure uniform water levels and velocities.

The Farmers Screen has no moving parts and can be tailored for diversions 0.5 cubic foot per second and larger. Substantially self-cleaning and proven not to harm fish, the Farmers Screen is a cost-effective solution to many fish and debris screening challenges.

The Farmers Screen is suitable to a broad range of terrain and site conditions. There is, however, a set of minimum conditions required in order to reliably install the Farmers Screen at a given site and ensure that it functions correctly and efficiently. To learn more about the technical siting and operation conditions, contact us.

If the Farmers Screen is not a good fit for your site conditions, there are several other technologies available that may provide an appropriate solution. More information on these other technologies can be found at the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Fish Screening and Passage Department.

For more information on the Farmers Screen, or to schedule a site visit or consultation, please contact FCA at 541.716.6085 or via email at info@fcasolutions.org.