When confronted with rising water costs and low crop yields, Bear River Ranch, located near Steamboat Springs, installed a hydro-mechanical system to power its center-pivot irrigation system. This system uses the power of falling water to directly drive and pressurize the center pivot; this eliminates the need for electricity and significantly reduces operating expenses. The turbine uses 126 feet of head and 560 gpm to produce the equivalent of 5.2 kW of power which drives the center pivot.
