Irrigation Leader January 2019 by Water Strategies

Volume 10 Issue 1

January 2019

training The Next Generation of Water Leaders

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CONTENTS JANUARY 2019 Volume 10, Issue 1

Irrigation Leader is published 10 times a year with combined issues for July/August and November/December by

STAFF: Kris Polly, Editor-in-Chief Joshua Dill, Managing Editor Parker Kenyon, Writer Tyler Young, Writer Nicole E. Venable, Graphic Designer SUBMISSIONS: Irrigation Leader welcomes manuscript, photography, and art submissions. However, the right to edit or deny publishing submissions is reserved. Submissions are returned only upon request. For more information, please contact our office at (202) 698-0690 or Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com. ADVERTISING: Irrigation Leader accepts one-quarter, half-page, and full-page ads. For more information on rates and placement, please contact Kris Polly at (703) 517-3962 or Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

The Next Generation of Nebraska Water Leaders

5 Training a New Generation of Irrigation Leaders By Kris Polly

24 Ensuring Quality in Irrigation Devices and Courses: The EPA's WaterSense Program

6 The Next Generation of Nebraska Water Leaders

26 From Nebraska to the World: The Nebraska LEAD Program

12 Arizona's Practitioner-Led Water Management Program 18 Cal Poly's Thriving Irrigation Training Center

34 Training Irrigators on High-Tech Systems

4 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Copyright ÂŠ 2018 Water Strategies LLC. Irrigation Leader relies on the excellent contributions of a variety of natural resources professionals who provide content for the magazine. However, the views and opinions expressed by these contributors are solely those of the original contributor and do not necessarily represent or reflect the policies or positions of Irrigation Leader magazine, its editors, or Water Strategies LLC. The acceptance and use of advertisements in Irrigation Leader do not constitute a representation or warranty by Water Strategies LLC or Irrigation Leader magazine regarding the products, services, claims, or companies advertised. /IrrigationLeader

@IrrigationLeader

irrigationleadermagazine.com

COVER PHOTO: Participants in the Nebraska Water Leaders Academy. Photo courtesy of Jason Orton.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON ORTON.

Correction: The phone number listed in our October 2018 issue for John Cates, the chief executive officer of Irrigation Revolution, was incorrect. Mr. Cates can be reached at (308) 390-7438. We regret the error.

CIRCULATION: Irrigation Leader is distributed to irrigation district managers and boards of directors in the 17 western states, Bureau of Reclamation officials, members of Congress and committee staff, and advertising sponsors. For address corrections or additions, please contact our office at Irrigation.Leader@waterstrategies.com.

Training a New Generation of Irrigation Leaders

veryone reading this magazine knows irrigation district managers and irrigated-crop farmers with decades of experience and hard-won knowledge. It is precisely this kind of broad, deep expertise that we want to instill in the irrigation leaders of tomorrow. But in an era when technology is advancing at a rapid pace and the economy is ever more integrated on a national and global level, there is much to learn. Young irrigation professionals today need to understand policymaking on the local, state, and national level; international trade and markets; and the newest information technologies. All this explains why irrigation leadership and training programs are becoming more and more important. In this issue of Irrigation Leader, we profile training programs that are each doing their part to maintain standards of excellence in the U.S. irrigation industry. Our cover story features the Nebraska Water Leaders Academy, which is training water policy leaders for the state through smallscale seminar programs. We also speak with leaders of Arizona’s Water Management Certificate Program, a management-focused, practitioner-led program whose student body mixes established professionals and graduate students, helping tomorrow’s water managers get to know today’s. Dr. Stuart Styles of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, tells us about his university’s Irrigation Training and Research Center, which also teaches both college students and established professionals. While many institutions of higher learning are closing their ag

By Kris Polly

engineering programs or folding them into other disciplines, Cal Poly’s has grown threefold in the last 10 years. We take a look at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense partnership program. The WaterSense label certifies that products and training programs meet the highest requirements of professional excellence. The Nebraska LEAD program is a 2-year agricultural leadership development program whose seminars span Nebraska, several cities across the United States, and the world. Finally, we speak with Charles Swanson of Texas A&M’s School of Irrigation. His school’s classes cover new technologies like computer-aided calculation tools and renewable energy, and its connection with the university extension system allows the school to draw from the experiences of real irrigators to develop its classes. Across our country, institutions of higher learning, associations, and committed professionals are helping to raise up the next generation of irrigation leaders. I hope this new issue of Irrigation Leader magazine gives you insight into how this is occurring and a glimpse into the future of our industry. IL Kris Polly is editor-in-chief of Irrigation Leader magazine and president of Water Strategies LLC, a government relations firm he began in February 2009 for the purpose of representing and guiding water, power, and agricultural entities in their dealings with Congress, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other federal government agencies. He may be contacted at Kris.Polly@waterstrategies.com.

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academy and its accomplishments over the last decade. Kris Polly: Please tell us about the thinking behind the creation of the academy and how it came into existence. Lee Orton: I operate several associations from my offices in Lincoln, and we did a leadership academy for an association that represents the groundwater well drilling profession in Nebraska. It was successful in bringing some new, younger people into the association’s leadership. That idea developed a little bit, and I spoke with Tom, who was the president

of the Nebraska State Irrigation Association (NSIA) at the time, about the success we’d had there, and the fact that we needed to find some younger people to get involved and invested in the water industry as well. Tom and I put together a proposal, and with his sales capabilities, we took it to Diamond Plastics, which was then doing, and continues to do, a lot of business in Nebraska and across the West. Diamond Plastics was enthused and excited about the concept and gave us a founding donation. Over the years, the company has given us over $60,000 to support the program. Next, we sought support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JASON ORTON.

he Nebraska Water Leaders Academy, founded in 2011, is a professional leadership program that trains water resources professionals in leadership skills and technical knowledge. Over the course of six sessions, participants learn about the different geographical areas of the state of Nebraska and about a variety of water subjects and leadership skills, all while building valuable, industry-crossing relationships with their fellow students. In this interview, Lee Orton, the executive director of the Nebraska State Irrigation Association, and Tom Knutson, the association’s former academy planning committee chair, talk with Irrigation Leader’s editor-inchief, Kris Polly, about the origins of the

(NET). I think that at the time, they thought our focus was narrower than it was—that all we were doing was building irrigation district leadership in Nebraska, when in fact we were looking for people who would be water policy leaders across the entire state. We didn’t get funding from NET that first year, but when we went back the second year, the trust saw that we had been working diligently to recruit participants from a wide range of water resources interest backgrounds and from across the state. From that point forward, NET has given us Lee Orton. significant support: Last year, they gave us over $80,000. NET is now invested in this process as well. Other important partners in this operation include two people from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources. We’ve partnered with them from the very beginning. Not only do they bring their vital leadership-skills training to the academy as academy planners and instructors, but they help bring other university-based people to the academy faculty as well. The lead person in that effort is Dr. Mark Burbach. The program has been successful. When I’m out soliciting funds to Tom Knutson. help support the program or just explaining it to people across the state and country, I say that it is designed Kris Polly: When did the program to help people in the water business begin? learn how to play together. We don’t do that well all the time. Lee Orton: The first class began in 2011. Tom Knutson: As Lee mentioned, when he and I were first discussing Kris Polly: What is the format of the idea for the academy, I was the program, and what skills does it president of the NSIA, a position impart? I’d held for two or three terms. The question on my mind was, “Where Lee Orton: It’s a 1-year program are all our leaders?” That’s why I that includes six sessions—1 every thought Lee’s idea was superb. I knew 2 months. We take the participants that we needed folks from across all over the state of Nebraska so that the state to be involved in the new they can see, feel, and experience generation of leaders as we deal with water resources in the various all the groundwater and surface water geographic areas of the state. Most issues in Nebraska. years, we start by going from Lincoln

to Kearney, where we see the sandhill cranes. In May we go to Omaha, and in July we go to the Scotts Bluff area to see the Nile Valley of Nebraska and its irrigation activity. Our September session is typically at Valentine on the Niobrara River—we do a boat trip down the river, which is an important recreational area. We finish the year in November in Nebraska City, where we look at the history and politics of the Missouri River and do some closing activities, including a report from each of the teams we have put together over the course of the year to do a project of their own. Sometimes that project takes on a life of its own after the end of the year. We’ve had several successful team efforts in that regard. We cover leadership skills and technical issues, including water law in Nebraska, the history of compacts and decrees, the political structure of the State of Nebraska, climate and geology, water resources conservation activities around the state, water policy development procedures, and the economic effects of water resources policy decisions. Because the participants are deliberately recruited from different backgrounds and have different interests in what the outcome of water resources decisions are, they learn to understand each other’s perspectives and how to better communicate with each other. They also develop longstanding friendships and relationships that serve a purpose after they finish the academy. Kris Polly: What is the application process like? Lee Orton: We have an openenrollment program, which is currently open from early September to early December. Applications used to be submitted on paper, but now they can be submitted electronically through our website. The application materials include a résumé; a letter of intent explaining why the applicant wants to participate in the academy; and a statement from the applicant’s IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM

employer, if the employer is helping support the applicant in the program, stating that the employer will be dedicated to making sure that the applicant will be involved throughout the year. The applicant also submits a Academy participants in Scotts Bluff, Nebraska.

representatives of the center-pivot manufacturers group in Nebraska, a number of our NSIA members, and other people who are interested in water resources. We have some in-kind contributions as well, including from faculty who donate their time. Kris Polly: What is the ideal class size?

8 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Lee Orton: Three people who have graduated from the academy actually have jobs in Washington, DC, today. We have at least a half dozen alumni who have gone from the private sector to serve on natural resources district boards of directors, we have a couple who are on irrigation district boards of directors, and we have people who are involved in Nebraska-based leadership in groups like Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy. You can see that our graduates have implemented their leadership-skills training. Kris Polly: What is your message to other states that may not have irrigation leadership programs? Lee Orton: I don’t know how they can get on without one, frankly. It is imperative to train the next generation of water resources professionals to understand policy issues and to be good leaders. I would encourage every state to do something of this nature. Kris Polly: How can people learn more about this program?

Kris Polly: Tell us about your alumni.

Lee Orton: They can go to the NSIA website or to the Water Leaders Academy website to see what we’re all about and how to apply. The website also has information about the demographics of past applicants and explains some of the program activities. They can also contact us directly. We would love to share information about this program because we think this can and should be carried out elsewhere. IL

Tom Knutson: We have 120 alumni at this point. A number of them are elected officials, a number are in management, and a number are professionally involved in engineering firms and private entities. It is rewarding to know that what we have

For more information about the Nebraska Water Leaders Academy, visit its website at waterleadersacademy.org/. Lee Orton can be contacted at (402) 476-0162 or lee@h2oboy.net. Tom Knutson can be contacted at (308) 754-8699 or tom.knutson819@gmail.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON ORTON.

$500 down payment on their tuition. We want everyone to have some skin in the game, which is what the $500 is intended for. It is reimbursed to unsuccessful applicants. The application materials are submitted to a committee that makes a determination based on qualifications. On only a few occasions have we had more applications than we were willing to accept. Successful applicants are notified in early December; they then provide us with some additional information and join us at the first session, which is typically in late January. The total tuition for the program is $2,000, which pays for all the activities. Sometimes we give scholarship support to participants who don’t have the necessary funds. Getting to and from the academy location is the responsibility of the participants. The cost to us of producing the academy is $5,000– $6,000 per person per year. The funds that make up the difference between that cost and the tuition come from NET funds and support from private enterprises like Diamond Plastics,

Lee Orton: Based on the relationships that are built in these class sessions, we have made the determination that we don’t want more than 20 people in the academy at a time. We have reached that maximum in 4 of the 8 years we’ve completed so far. The 2019 academy class is a group of 17, but there are also 4 people who have deferred until next year because of scheduling conflicts. Attendance has been good. A few times, participants have been unable to attend every one of the six sessions, but in every case but one, those individuals actually came back the next year to fill in the session they missed. We’ve had good commitment. In all the years the academy has existed, we’ve only had one person withdraw from the program partway through, and yet when he was interviewed by a local newspaper, he raved about how successful it had been.

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ARIZONA'S PRACTITIONER-LED WATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

n the desert states of the American Southwest, water management is a challenge and an art. Municipalities, irrigation districts, builders, attorneys, and policymakers must all be intimately familiar with the full spectrum of water-related challenges they may face. In Arizona, the Agribusiness & Water Council of Arizona (ABWC) and Arizona State University’s Fulton Schools of Engineering and Morrison School of Agribusiness have combined forces to create the Water Management Certificate Program. The program was developed in 2011 and welcomed its first class in 2013. Its aim is to train both established professionals and master’s-level students seeking to enter the water industry, and in so doing, establish connections among all who take part. In this interview with Irrigation Leader Managing Editor Joshua Dill, the Agribusiness & Water Council’s executive director, Chris Udall, and three members of its executive committee, George Fletcher, Larry Olson, and Bill Plummer, discuss the Certificate Program’s history, its special features, and its goals and accomplishments.

Bill Plummer: I have a long history in water resources. I started with the Bureau of Reclamation in Yuma, Arizona, and after that worked in Washington, DC, at the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of the Secretary of the Interior. Then I went back to the field with the Bureau of Reclamation as regional director in Salt Lake City and later in Boulder City. After leaving Reclamation, I consulted in water resources in Arizona and internationally in South and Southeast Asia. In between, I joined the Arizona Department of Water Resources as director and later as manager of Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District. I serve as the coordinator for the ABWC program.

Larry Olson: I am a professor at ASU and the program chair for the Environmental and Resource Management Program at ASU’s Fulton Schools of Engineering. The Fulton Schools of Engineering, along with the ABWC and ASU’s Morrison School of Agribusiness, is one of the three organizations that certify the graduates of this program. The majority of the students in the program are working professionals who are not taking the program for academic credit, but the program does include students from ASU who are taking it for credit. Most of those students are in my program, the Environmental and Resource Management Program, which is a master’s degree program with a

12 | IRRIGATION LEADER

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN HARWOOD.

Joshua Dill: Please tell us about your backgrounds and how you ended up in your current positions at the program.

I got involved in the Water Management Certificate Program a number of years ago after Richard Morrison, a member of the ABWC executive committee who had been promoting a program such as this for years, invited me to work with Arizona State University (ASU) to develop a management program for people in the water resources industry. It was to be taught not by academics but by practitioners in the field who had substantial experience in managing and operating water resources projects and related programs. A team of dedicated ABWC executive committee members developed a 9-month program that covered water management issues, including planning, operations, construction, communications, and management and legislative issues. Initially, the intention was to train managers for irrigation districts, but the focus has expanded since then. In addition to irrigation-district personnel, we have a substantial number of students from the municipal sector, mostly in water conservation programs and agribusiness, attorneys professionals from environmental organizations, and consultants. Most of our students are from Arizona, though we have had students from New Mexico and California as well.

Pictured from left to right: George Fletcher, Larry Olson, Bill Plummer, and Chris Udall.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE WATER MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.

concentration in water resources management. This program is part of the curriculum for that degree program. The student body is an interesting mix. Many of the participants have had a wide variety of experiences in irrigation districts; the Bureau of Reclamation; and municipal organizations including the Salt River Project and the Central Arizona, Project. We’ve had students from the Nature Conservancy. We’ve also had a state legislator complete the program. The student body also includes ASU students who want to make this their career. Participation in this program allows them to work together with these working professionals for 9 months and to get to know them well. Our students are exposed to an amazing group of instructors. Each year, we engage a couple dozen instructors from a cadre of 40 or 50. Visiting presenters have included former United States Senator Jon Kyl; U.S. Representative John Shadegg; and Rusty Bowers, the current speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, as well as other state legislators and high-ranking people from various organizations. It’s a tremendous educational experience. Additionally, because we have a degree program available, some of our students are working full time and are interested in advancing their careers through a master’s degree from ASU. Chris Udall: I’ve been with ABWC for 14 years. I was formerly a congressional staffer for two different Arizona congressmen in Washington, DC, for 10 years. As the executive director of ABWC, I’ve had the opportunity to work with many knowledgeable executive committee members; it was those members who came up with the content for this program. As Bill and Larry stated, it began as a program to train the next generation of irrigation district managers and evolved into a much larger program covering many other fields. My primary role in the program is to be a facilitator, although I do some teaching as well. Testimonials we’ve received from our alumni say that the program has saved their districts thousands of dollars. One student said that learning from our instructors was like learning the Ten Commandments from Moses. The program has expanded well through good planning and

word of mouth. Those who have been in it say that they’ve really benefitted. Some have stated that they are interested in taking the program again. George Fletcher: I am the owner and principal consultant of Replenishment Services, LLC, a water resources consulting firm, where I have been working since 2006. My career began in 1980, about 3 months prior to the passage of the Arizona Groundwater Management Act (GMA), so I’ve had the opportunity to learn about water law in an administrative agency since the very beginning of the implementation of the code. I worked in the water rights adjudication program at the Arizona Department of Water Resources and helped develop the investigative and reporting processes that the department uses to support the courts. After that, I went to work for an international consulting firm, trying to establish a water rights practice. Subsequently, I was hired by a law firm to help support client work and to help train incoming attorneys on the new GMA. I was hired by a smaller community in the western Phoenix metro area, and later hired by the City of Tempe, where I spent 10 years as the city’s first full-time water resources manager. I helped establish Tempe’s first comprehensive water resources and water conservation plan, helping the city comply with the provisions of the GMA and deliver water to special projects, including the Tempe town lake. After that, I went back into consulting and worked for another consulting firm for a time, which was quite well known in the West for its involvement with portions of the Central Arizona Project. That firm was sold a few times, and I eventually opened my own consulting practice where I currently provide water resources expertise to clients in all water use sectors. I was asked in 2017 to become an instructor in the graduate program at ASU in the newly developed water resources concentration. I now teach a class on water law and policy every spring to master’s and doctoral degree candidates. With regard to this particular certificate program, I served on the committee that helped launch it, and I work closely with Bill and other program committee members to keep things going forward. I teach groundwater and surface water law, intergovernmental communications, local government, and contracting with consultants as part of the program. I also touch on water law in Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM

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The Water Management Certificate Program's 2018 graduating class.

and California for students who are from those states or who wish to know the rules of the game there.

Joshua Dill: How many participants are there and how are they selected?

Joshua Dill: What is the format of the program and what is its curriculum?

Larry Olson: They have to apply. The ABWC is used as our coordinating group. The application materials include a statement of intent, in which the applicant describes their background and explains why they want to take the class. Unless the applicant is taking the class for academic credit, they do not need to apply to ASU at all; those who are taking it for credit have to be ASU students and have to go through a formal application process. However, the course is not open to just anyone at ASU—it’s an instructor-approval course. We’re basically selecting students who want to be water management professionals. One of the goals is to try to make sure that the preponderance of the students in the class are working professionals. Usually it’s about two-thirds working professionals and one-third ASU students. We’ve had varying numbers. There are usually 20–25 total participants.

Bill Plummer: It is a 9-month program, beginning in September. The program meets once a month on a Friday afternoon and the following Satruday. The classes are taught by practitioners, and in the congressional liaison portion, congressmen. We’ve had occasional field trips: This year, we went to the City of Scottsdale’s Water Campus, where participants saw how wastewater is reclaimed and how it is used. At the end of the program, we divide the students into teams, each of which selects and analyzes a water-related issue and presents its analysis just prior to graduation. It’s an opportunity for team members to work together and delve deeper into a relevant and current issue. Last year, more than half the students did not miss any classes. The students are responsible about coming to the classes in person, which we prefer, because we feel that the interaction among students and instructors is important and helps make our program a success.

14 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Bill Plummer: Some programs are organized more toward leadership in general, perhaps with an emphasis on policy. Generally speaking, our program is different because it mostly uses practitioners as instructors and focuses on practical activity. Larry Olson: Another special thing about our program is that a lot of the instructors are actually the people who developed the policies and regulations and have experience in the implementation of the GMA, the Central Arizona Project, Indian water rights settlements, and other major initiatives. The students are actually learning from people who were at the table when these decisions were made and are currently at the table for the development of the Drought Contingency Plan and other similar policies. These are people who are involved in Arizona-specific and regional water issues.

Joshua Dill: What is the most helpful thing that participants learn? What do they learn here that they might not get elsewhere?

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WATER MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM.

Larry Olson: We teach the class in a TV studio at the ASU Polytechnic campus in Mesa, Arizona, so all the classes are recorded and are accessible later on; they can also be watched live online by students who are not able to attend. This is especially helpful for students from New Mexico and California who are not always able to be there in person. They can log in and follow the class live and even ask questions and interact in real time. One other outside activity we’ve scheduled is a visit and briefing at the Arizona State Legislature. That way the students get a sense of how bills are processed and how the legislature works. As mentioned, one state legislator has graduated from the program. She has been helpful in describing the program to others.

Joshua Dill: What sets this program apart from similar programs in other states?

Bill Plummer: Quite a few of these students are in the field already. There’s not much opportunity for them to receive instruction that pertains to what they’re doing other than on-the-job training. Being able to mingle with and learn with other students from different backgrounds in a classroom setting provides that opportunity. In a class with people from five or six different disciplines, all of whom have different job titles, that information and knowledge is exchanged. The students learn the disciplines they may need to go to if they have a problem. That is one of the most valuable components of the program: knowing the types of organizations and people that can help you solve a problem. George Fletcher: Another thing they gain from this coursework and these relationships is a good understanding of the challenges that other water use sectors might be facing. In the water arena, we are frequently involved in collaborative projects or negotiations in which multiple sectors are represented, like those dealing with the Colorado River. The hope is that this course helps prepare these practitioners for the challenges they may face in the future and to inform them about what other people at the table might be facing. Chris Udall: The students come away with a big-picture view of the water arena in Arizona and how it relates to what’s going on in neighboring states. They may not get that on the job, which may be more tightly focused. Joshua Dill: Who are your alumni, and do they stay involved in the program after they have completed it? Bill Plummer: Some of the students come back to teach, particularly those who have a few years of experience behind them. It’s also amazing how many of our graduates are seen at regional meetings on water resources matters. We just gathered for the Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas, and there were at least a dozen people who had completed our program. Chris Udall: Often it’s the people who you hadn’t seen before. After attending this program, they have more knowledge and have a network, and are advancing and becoming great leaders. Joshua Dill: What is your vision for the future of the program? Bill Plummer: My belief is that the program should continue in this format. As Larry said, we choose instructors from the agencies and entities that have been involved in major issues. Those issues are still timely. As we move forward, I don’t see us having larger classes, but we will strive to have

our students fully engaged. At the beginning, I think the students were reluctant to get involved, but that has changed dramatically. It has been a real pleasure to work with them. Some offer their own insights, they have good questions, and they’re learning. Last year, after our trip to the City of Scottsdale’s Water Campus, where there is a complicated, advanced system for the treatment of wastewater, I decided to give the students a quiz on the field trip. I was astounded by the results: Our students got every answer correct. Issues are changing everywhere, and we will need problem solvers. I hope that the graduates of our program will be part of solving those problems, now and in the future. Larry Olson: One thing we might be able to accomplish is to raise more funding for scholarships. There are people who have expressed interest in the program, but the tuition is a problem for them. Not everyone can get their company or organization to pay for it. We’re also looking to involve more legislators as students. Many legislators are now having to grapple with water issues, and they don’t necessarily have the depth of understanding they need. It would be great to be able to bring more legislators into the program. Bill Plummer: Legislators may not need to be involved in the entire program either. We’ve discussed the possibility of dividing the class into modules. People may only want to learn about water law or communications. If we develop the right kind of module, it could be possible for legislators to be involved in the program at a reduced cost and with a reduced time commitment. George Fletcher: The value of this course for the money invested is incredible. There are a lot of private entities and organizations that offer training in water law or another single subject, but I don’t know of any organization that has the comprehensive coverage that this course provides. The instructors involved are excellent. The course provides incredible value, both in terms of knowledge gained and the potential for advancement. Bill Plummer: In summary, we believe we have a very successful program. This impression has been reinforced by comments from alumni and the fact that several watercentered organizations believe in the value of the program and continue to send us students. IL For more information about the Water Management Certificate Program, visit the Agribusiness & Water Council of Arizona’s website at www.agribusinessarizona.org. You can contact ABWC at (480) 558-5301 or info@agribusinessarizona.org.

IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM

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CAL POLY'S THRIVING IRRIGATION TRAINING CENTER

or nearly 30 years, the Irrigation Training and Research Center at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) has been supporting the university’s thriving BioResource and Agricultural Engineering (BRAE) department. While many universities have downsized or eliminated their ag engineering programs, Cal Poly’s BRAE department has seen its enrollment triple in the last 10 years. The Irrigation Training and Research Center also supports established irrigation management professionals with 3-day educational workshops. Irrigation Leader writer Parker Kenyon spoke with the director of the Irrigation Training and Research Center, Stuart Styles, about the beginnings of the center, its mission, and the classes it offers both to university students and to irrigation management professionals. Parker Kenyon: Please tell us about your professional and educational background.

Parker Kenyon: What were the motivations behind starting the Irrigation Training and Research Center? Stuart Styles: We created the center in 1989 as a location to train university students who were taking irrigationrelated classes as well as professionals from the irrigation industry, including manufacturers, dealers, and irrigation districts. One of our fundamental objectives was to support the teaching program at Cal Poly. The center was created to help fund and maintain a strong agricultural-engineering program with a water resources emphasis. We are housed under the BRAE major, and it is in our charter to

18 | IRRIGATION LEADER

A pump platform used for hands-on training sessions at Cal Poly's Water Resources Facility.

support that program while also doing these great things for the irrigation world. One challenge is that the BRAE program’s hands-on classes, which offer students experience with realworld technologies, have become expensive to maintain. Parker Kenyon: What are the educational programs you offer, and how do they relate to Cal Poly’s BRAE program? Stuart Styles: The educational program has two aspects. First, we teach 13 unique irrigation courses for the university. Those courses are primarily suited for engineers, but we also do classes for nonengineers. One of our introductory courses on irrigation management skills attracts over 100 students per quarter. Second, we conduct over 60 workshops per year for irrigation management professionals. Around 1,000 people attend those workshops. These workshops deal with the full spectrum of irrigation and drainage projects, including drip-irrigation design, irrigation management, pump design, and pump evaluation. We also do workshops on irrigation project modernization and cover topics like building reservoirs, regulating structures, and flow measurement facilities for full-blown water projects. Parker Kenyon: Would you say that your center draws a significant number of students to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo? Stuart Styles: The short answer is yes. The setup, creation, and operation of the center have really helped support our agricultural-engineering program. We have around three times as many students in our program now than we did 10 years ago. That is both because we have a strong program and because California just experienced a 5-year drought, increasing awareness of the need for water management.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE IRRIGATION TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTER.

Stuart Styles: I am the director of the Irrigation Training and Research Center at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The center was founded in 1989, so it is coming up on its 30th anniversary. I have my doctorate from the University of California, Davis, and I have a master of business administration and an undergraduate degree from Cal Poly. I worked in the industry for 7 years before coming to Cal Poly about 25 years ago to teach and to work with the research center to develop new contracts and technical projects throughout the western United States.

A pump platform used for hands-on training sessions at Cal Poly's Water Resources Facility.

“The setup, creation, and operation of the center have really helped support our agricultural-engineering program. We have around three times as many students in our program now than we did 10 years ago.” — STUART STYLES

Drip irrigation workshop participants being shown the difference between the backflush performance on different sand media tanks.

Stuart Styles, director of the Irrigation Training and Research Center.

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The opportunities in water resources engineering have never been better. There is a large demand for students coming out of our program, and this is at a time when a lot of the agricultural-engineering programs around the country are folding and being absorbed into other programs like civil engineering.

Stuart Styles: Yes, this is the course that engineering students take to introduce them to the irrigation world. We also have a number of classes on more specialized

20 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Parker Kenyon: Would you please tell our readers about the training programs that you are doing with water districts at the Irrigation Training and Research Center?

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN LOO.

topics. The second class I teach is a junior-level course on hydraulics. It is based on a university-level fluid mechanics course. We cover the material that students need to know for irrigation, but we also cover the material that will be on the professional engineering exam that they will take after they graduate. We give them the fundamentals on how to do simple projects like lateral irrigation design Parker Kenyon: What states do the students in your and mainline design, but we also cover the things that program come from? will show up on certification exams, like specific-weight calculations and buoyancy calculations. Stuart Styles: The majority of our students are from The third course I teach is a senior-level structural California, but we are starting to see more coming in design class that is focused on concrete design, from other regions. We have a fair number of students specializing in structures that are used for waterways, like from Idaho and Minnesota, and I actually have a student cross-regulating structures, flumes, and small retaining from Virginia. It is rare for us to get someone from the walls. We have found that a lot of our alumni who go on East Coast, but he found information about our center on to work for water districts end up doing concrete design as the internet and is now one of our top part of their job. The university wanted students. to give our students a solid, practical background in concrete design as well Parker Kenyon: Please tell us about the as a theoretical understanding of the “Not only do our courses that you teach at the center. topic, and I have a lot of experience students get high working with water districts in salaries, they are Stuart Styles: I teach three universityconcrete design and installation. also in high demand.” based classes and handle around half of our 60 professional workshops. As Parker Kenyon: What percentage director, I have split responsibilities: of your students go on to graduate — STUART STYLES I teach one for one quarter of the school? year and then I serve as the director for the other three-quarters of the Stuart Styles: The majority of our year. One course I teach is Principles students get hired right out of school of Irrigation, which is a sophomore-level with an undergraduate degree. Around 15 class. The course has a lecture-lab format, meaning it percent of our students go on to do graduate work and includes both a 3-hour lecture and a 3-hour lab during eventually get at least one advanced degree. I would say which we actually go through exercises in the field on all that less than 3 percent of our students go on to get a the material we covered in the book. Labs for irrigation doctorate. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo only offers degrees courses are expensive: We go through a lot of disposable up to the master’s level. lab materials, and we need to keep equipment operational and running. It is a challenge, but it allows us to give Parker Kenyon: How are the job prospects for your students a big-picture approach to the different on-farm students who forgo grad school? irrigation systems and the management required by each one. We do modules on drip irrigation, sprinkler Stuart Styles: The engineering major that we support, irrigation, surface irrigation, and even furrow and border BRAE, is one of Cal Poly’s top 10 for salaries. Its strips, even though those are used less and less out here graduates rank right up there with mechanical, electrical, in California. The students are definitely interested in and architectural engineers. Not only do our students sprinkler and drip irrigation. For this class, we set up a get high salaries, they are also in high demand. Many hybrid format in which students do an online module that receive three or four offers when they graduate. Employers lasts about 10 hours and then are tested on the content in come to the university to attend job fairs for engineering class. students. I require students in all three of my classes to turn in a one-page résumé, and with their permission, I Parker Kenyon: So this course covers the fundamentals of post their résumés on our webpage. It is a great way to irrigation. give potential employers access to our students.

Stuart Styles: We have a program we call the Irrigation District School of Irrigation. We focus primarily on flow measurement, canal operations, pump design, and pump management. Each session draws 35 or 40 people and typically last's 3 days. We typically hold the courses during the winter and spring months. We get participants from all over the western United States, including New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. Parker Kenyon: Would you please tell our readers about your most popular course? Stuart Styles: The most popular course that I am involved with is a 3-day workshop on flow measurement. On the first day, we focus on flow measurement basics—units and equations—and we target pipeline applications. We go over all the equipment that is available for pipelines, both new technologies and historical devices. We spend most of our time talking about the new tools that are available for pipeline management, like magnetic meters. About 20 years ago, we predicted that those were going to take over the industry; their growth was slow at first, but in the last 5 years, they have really taken off. Water districts have been buying these meters in batches of 50–100 units at a time. There is a big need out there for information on how to set them up and accurately use them. On the second day, we switch over to talking about open-channel measurements. Again, we start with the basics—flumes, weirs, and other established technologies—and then get into some of the latest technologies. The latest one we have been doing research on and sharing our experiences with is what is called a noncontact Doppler meter. This is a device that stays outside the water, so it does not deal with some of the

issues associated with erosion and electronics wear and tear. We have had solid success with it on a few sites. The only complicating factor is that the water has to be dirty for the Doppler to see it; at one district, the water was actually too pure, which may be hard to believe here in California. The third day, we switch over to the operations aspects of pipelines and canals and talk about how water district personnel move water around the system—how things used to be done, and how things can be modernized and automated. We talk about basics like using flashboards that are taken in and out by hand and then we go all the way into the advanced topics, like using computers to model entire canal systems and using programmable-logic controllers to automatically move gates up and down. On each of these days, we do basic training at the beginning of the day and then end it by giving the participants an idea of what is coming down the line in the future. We also offer a Designer/Manager School of Irrigation for agricultural- and landscape-irrigation professionals. It gives people in the industry the opportunity to get the latest information about new technologies and techniques and to get hands-on experience with the equipment at our facilities. We are also working on merging onsite training with online classes that participants can take at any time from home. Our online landscape classes are offered yearround and can be taken for continuing education credit through the Irrigation Association. We find that both Cal Poly students and irrigation professionals appreciate the variety of different training programs that we have. IL Stuart Styles is the director of the Irrigation Training and Research Center at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He can be reached at sstyles@calpoly.edu.

Students on the campus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

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ENSURING QUALITY IN IRRIGATION DEVICES AND COURSES

aterSense is a program that was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2006 to identify and promote the very best water-conservation products and training courses. A WaterSense label is a nationally recognized symbol of quality. In addition, WaterSense-labeled products and certification providers are included in the program’s searchable online directory. In this interview with Irrigation Leader writer Parker Kenyon, WaterSense Program Manager Veronica Blette discusses the program’s relevance for irrigation professionals. Parker Kenyon: Please tell our readers about the EPA’s WaterSense Program. What is it designed to do and who can it benefit?

Veronica Blette: WaterSense is a voluntary EPA partnership program that started in 2006 with the goal of helping people save water. It is both a label for products and an information resource to help consumers make smart choices that save water and money on their utility bills. Through 2017, the program has helped to save more than 2.7 trillion gallons of water and $63.8 billion in utility bills. Products that have earned the WaterSense label are certified to be at least 20 percent more efficient without sacrificing performance. WaterSense currently labels two types of irrigation products: weather-based irrigation controllers and spray sprinkler bodies. In addition to labeling products,

24 | IRRIGATION LEADER

we also label programs that certify irrigation professionals who have been trained in water efficiency. Parker Kenyon: Why should irrigation professionals consider WaterSensecertified educational programs? Veronica Blette: Many communities are placing an increased emphasis on efficient water use so they can continue to provide vital water services in the face of drought or high water demand. Outdoor water use poses a particular concern for many water providers because demand usually peaks during the warmer seasons and can stress water supplies. As much as 50 percent of the water applied to landscapes and lawns can be lost because of evaporation, wind, or overwatering due to inefficient system design or improper installation, maintenance, and scheduling. Earning a certification from a WaterSense-labeled program demonstrates that an irrigation professional wants to become part of a solution to the challenges of outdoor water use. Certified professionals trained in water efficiency can provide added value to their customers by helping them to achieve beautiful and water-efficient landscapes. Parker Kenyon: Does the WaterSense program work with irrigation districts and municipal water districts? Veronica Blette: WaterSense focuses on landscape irrigation rather than agricultural irrigation, but we have also

THE EPA’S WATERSENSE PROGRAM

partnered with more than 700 water utilities and local governments. They help promote WaterSense-labeled products and services and educate the public on how to be more water efficient, both indoors and outdoors. WaterSense has labeled 24 professional certifying organizations that certify irrigation professionals in system design, installation and maintenance, and audits. The Irrigation Association

“Irrigation districts that also provide water services to municipal customers should consider becoming WaterSense partners to take advantage of our national messaging platform.” — VERONICA BLETTE

offers national certification in all three specialties, and a number of other regional programs offer certification for system audits. Parker Kenyon: Would you please describe the process for becoming WaterSense certified? Veronica Blette: The process will differ depending on the program for which the professional is seeking certification. Generally, the professional will be

required to attend classes and take an exam to test their knowledge. Some programs also require a site test to demonstrate that the professional has the skills to manage water in a landscape. Once certified, the professional will also need to earn continuing education units to maintain their certification. The certifying organization establishes specific requirements. If an irrigation district is interested in establishing its own program, it can contact WaterSense to learn more about the process and the options available. Parker Kenyon: What are the professional benefits of becoming WaterSense certified?

PHOTO COURTESY OF EPA.GOV.

Veronica Blette: Professionals certified by a WaterSense-labeled program are associating themselves with a nationwide program that is recognized by consumers as a trusted resource to help them save water. Professionals can use this affiliation to distinguish themselves from their competitors by using the WaterSense “Look For” promotional label on their marketing materials. They may also get access to incentives offered by local governments or access to job opportunities with builders of WaterSense-labeled homes and LEED projects. WaterSense also includes certified professionals in an online directory, which currently lists more than 2,700 professionals throughout the country. Parker Kenyon: What kinds of public outreach and education does WaterSense support? Veronica Blette: Our labeled professional-certifying organizations offer ongoing training to professionals. WaterSense develops materials to

help professionals and consumers understand the benefits of labeled products, such as weather-based irrigation controllers, and other watersaving irrigation practices, such as microirrigation. WaterSense offers periodic webinars that are focused on outdoor topics to help both professionals and consumers learn about techniques to create water-smart landscapes. WaterSense also has a wealth of material focused on outdoor water use, including campaigns like our spring Sprinkler Spruce-Up campaign. Promotional partners can use these materials and campaigns to raise consumer awareness, and certified professionals can view them as a business opportunity to help consumers ensure that their irrigation systems are in working order. Parker Kenyon: What is your message to our readership? Veronica Blette: Professionals who provide irrigation services for residential and commercial landscapes should consider earning a professional certification to advance their skills and grow their business. More communities are facing waterrelated challenges. Professionals can address these challenges by offering their knowledge to sustain landscapes without wasting water—whether that landscape is a homeowner’s yard, a commercial campus, or a golf course.

People might think that a water-efficient landscape means rocks and cacti, but a sustainable, waterefficient landscape can be created and maintained in any climatic zone as long as it has the right pieces in place—the right plants, the right irrigation system, and the right water schedule. Irrigation districts that also provide water services to municipal customers should consider becoming WaterSense partners to take advantage of our national messaging platform. It is free, and we have a range of resources they can use to communicate with their customers about water efficiency. Parker Kenyon: If our readers want to get more information on the EPA’s WaterSense program, what is the best way for them to get in contact with you? Veronica Blette: The best way to learn more about the program is to visit our website at www.epa.gov/watersense. In addition to useful tips about how to save water, we have information about our labeled products, certification programs, and homes, as well as opportunities to partner with WaterSense. Readers can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter by looking for the @EPAWaterSense handle. Finally, readers can always reach us through the Contact Us link on our website, by email at watersense@epa. gov, or through our toll-free helpline, (866) 987-7367. IL

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LEAD 36 at the U.S. embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where they met with United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service officials.

FROM NEBRASKA TO THE WORLD: THE NEBRASKA LEAD PROGRAM

he Nebraska LEAD program, founded in 1981, is a 2-year agricultural leadership-development program that exposes its fellows to state, regional, national, and international issues through a series of seminars and study tips. The program covers public policy issues, natural resources management, economics, communications, and leadership. In this interview, Dr. Terry Hejny, the director of the Nebraska LEAD program, speaks with Irrigation Leader Managing Editor Joshua Dill about the program’s history, what its fellows learn, and what sets it apart from other, similar programs. Joshua Dill: Please tell us about your background and how it led you to your current position.

26 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Terry Hejny: I grew up on a farm southwest of Lincoln, Nebraska. Our farm was diversified with crops and livestock. I went to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), where I received a bachelor of science degree in agricultural education. In 1980, I took a teaching job in Geneva, Nebraska, which is in Fillmore County, about 65 miles southwest of Lincoln. Almost all the cropland in the area was irrigated, either by furrow or by center pivot. I grew up as a dry-land farmer, so that was a whole new experience for me. I spent almost 18 years as a vocational agriculture instructor and Future Farmers of America advisor as well as advising an adult agricultural education organization, the Geneva Young Farmers. During that time, I earned a master of education degree, which provided me the

opportunity to become an extension educator for UNL. I served in this capacity in Fillmore County for 7 years. As an extension educator, I focused on risk management, grain marketing, and crop production; along with three other extension educator colleagues, I was an early pioneer of on-farm research. The Quad-County On-Farm Research Program began in 2000 and is still going strong today. In 2005, I transferred to Cass County, east of Lincoln. At the same time, I began working on a PhD in leadership studies. I served as an extension educator in Cass County for a couple of years. There was little irrigation in Cass County, as the farmland there was mostly dedicated to rain-fed row crops. I accepted my current assignment in September 2007, and I have been serving in this capacity ever since. I finally earned a PhD in human sciences with a specialization in leadership studies in 2010. In addition to being an active academic, I have just started my 12th season as LEAD director. Joshua Dill: Please tell us about the history of the Nebraska LEAD Program.Â

Dr. Terry Hejny, director of the Nebraska LEAD program.

Terry Hejny: The very first program of this type began in the mid-1960s in Michigan, funded by the Kellogg Foundation. The Kellogg folks had done a lot of work to determine the needs of agricultural producers in the

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEBRASKA LEAD.

LEAD 37 visits an oil-drilling rig during a seminar in southwestern Nebraska.

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LEAD 36 receives a briefing on vegetable production at a lettuce farm in Chile.

28 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Agricultural Leadership Council, which is a nonprofit organization whose only responsibility is to oversee the Nebraska LEAD program and to provide it policy guidance and fundraising support. As a nonprofit group, the Nebraska Agricultural Leadership Council raises operating money to administer the program on a yearly basis. Originally, this program was only supposed to last 3–5 years, as the founders believed that that amount of time would produce a sufficient number of leaders. As you can see, however, we are still going strong. We will always need to grow a new crop of leaders for agriculture and beyond. Joshua Dill: What is the format of the fellowship? Terry Hejny: The program lasts 2 years. During the first year, the LEAD fellows study local, state, and national issues in six 3-day seminars held across the state of Nebraska. We use almost every public and private institution of higher education in our state. Nebraska varies significantly from east to west, which is why it is so important for the state’s future leaders to be familiar with the entire state. In our seminars, our fellows learn about the distinct cultural features of the different areas of the state and the regional issues and challenges that affect the state as a whole. The first year also includes a 10-day national study/

PHOTO COURTESY OF NEBRASKA LEAD.

United States. One of the things producers needed was global awareness. At the time, most farmers only understood the issues in their own little corner of the world. Most did not have an understanding of the importance of international trade or the global consumer. Rob Raun, who was on the board of the Kellogg Foundation, was also on the board of regents of the University of Nebraska. He bought back the idea for the program and, along withVice Chancellor Martin Massengale of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL, made things happen. They enlisted the assistance of the Agriculture Builders of Nebraska and other business leaders across our state. Many people served on the initial steering committee and assisted in developing what would become the Nebraska LEAD Program. The Kellogg Foundation provided seed money for a few years, as it did in other states that were developing similar programs. That was the spark that got us going. Our first LEAD class started in 1981, and we have been bringing in a new class every year since. In September, LEAD class 38 began its first year and LEAD 37 began its second year. We are currently recruiting for LEAD 39, which will begin in September 2019. We are the best example of a public-private partnership that I know of. UNL loans me out to the Nebraska

travel seminar in Kansas City, Washington, DC, and Chicago, where the fellows meet with business and government leaders. In Kansas City, the participants visit the Federal Reserve Bank, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7, the Kansas City Intermodal Railway, and more. In Washington, DC, they visit Water Strategies, LLC; meet with Nebraska’s congressional representatives; and visit the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the National Pork Producers Council, the National Farm Bureau Federation, the Brookings Institution, the Wilson Center for International Scholars, the American Bankers Association, and more. When we are in Chicago, they visit EPA Region 5 and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, among other destinations. The second year builds on the first year’s studies. We have six 3-day, theme-based, in-state seminars. We also start to prepare the fellows for the global portion of the study program, which is an international study/travel seminar lasting 14–16 days. In January 2019, LEAD class 37 will travel to the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Poland. We like to think of the international seminar as the capstone of the program. Joshua Dill: Who are your LEAD fellows?

Terry Hejny: Each year’s class includes up to 30 individuals, generally between the ages of 25 and 55. They include farmers, ranchers, and professionals from all industries that support agriculture. Joshua Dill: What are some of the specific skills that LEAD fellows learn while participating in your program? Terry Hejny: We have done a lot of follow-up studies to see what people gain by participating in the program. The results are interesting. Graduates of the program say they gain self-confidence and a can-do attitude. They also say that the program builds their problem-solving and decisionmaking skills. Public speaking is also important to them. In addition to speaking skills, I think they gain important listening skills. Listening is a crucial part of being a leader. The issues, challenges, and problems we face today are complex. Our program presents our LEAD fellows with as many sides of the issues as possible and encourages them to understand all of them so that they can make informed decisions. Joshua Dill: What sets this program apart from others in the United States? IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM

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LEAD 38 engages in a problem-solving activity during their first seminar.

LEAD 37 learns lessons in leadership at the battleground in Gettysburg.

LEAD 36 visits a United States Department of Agriculture export fruit preclearence station in Santiago, Chile.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NEBRASKA LEAD.

30 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Terry Hejny: A few things separate our program from the other statewide adult agricultural leadership development programs in the United States. One that comes to mind is that we are one of a few that have two classes running concurrently. This certainly keeps my staff and me busy, as we are coordinating the activities of the two classes at the same time. Our international study/travel seminar also sets us apart. This seminar lasts a good 2 weeks and covers at least three countries, sometimes four. It allows our LEAD fellows to compare and contrast the countries we travel to with the United States. Additionally, our LEAD fellows are excellent ambassadors for Nebraska agriculture and are able to develop relationships with our global partners and customers. It’s important to understand their ways of life, cultures, consumer preferences, and buying habits. Additionally, our program is affordable. We keep our tuition quite low, as we do not want the price to discourage anyone from participating. We are able to do this because of the outstanding support of UNL; our commodity boards and grower associations; our friends in business and industry; our LEAD alumni and the LEAD Alumni Association; and the many individuals across our state and beyond who support us with their time, talent, and treasure. Another unique feature of our program is that the spouses of married applicants are included in the interview process. The spouses of LEAD fellows also participate in four of the in-state seminars. They are part of our LEAD family, and we want to help them grow personally and professionally. In fact, some end up applying to the program a few years down the road. Joshua Dill: Has the program changed over the years, and if so, how? Terry Hejny: Our program has certainly changed over its 38 years, but the big-picture topics—water, international trade, healthcare, and education—have remained the same. What has changed is our presentation approach. Joshua Dill: What makes your program appropriate for irrigation professionals? Terry Hejny: Here in Nebraska, we sit on top of one of the largest aquifers in the world, the Ogallala aquifer, so we pay close attention to irrigation issues as well as water use issues. We look at surface water irrigation, groundwater irrigation, surface water rights, groundwater rights, pumping costs, pumping efficiency, and water ownership.

These issues are complex. The ways in which various areas of the state handle water issues and irrigation is interesting. We also cover new technologies and water law. Many of our graduates go on to sit on natural resources district boards, and several have gone to be elected as Nebraska state senators. Joshua Dill: Would you tell us about your alumni? Terry Hejny: It is hard to name just a handful because so many of our participants go on to do great things. Several of our graduates have gone on to be Nebraska state senators. One of our alumni is a sitting United States senator, and another is a member of the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. A few of our graduates have gone on to be the executive directors of our state commodity boards and grower associations, and many have served as commodity board or grower association board members. Many become school board members or county commissioners and are involved in economic development at the local, regional, and state level. I think the key is that our alumni get involved in their communities. Whether their communities are large or small, rural or urban, our graduates make their homes a better place to live, work, and play. Joshua Dill: What ambitions do you have for the program in the future? Terry Hejny: We are looking at changing our national seminar by spending 2–3 days in another state to learn about the agricultural issues and challenges it faces before we travel to Washington, DC. That is going to require additional funding, but it is something I would like to implement when LEAD welcomes its 40th class. I want to enhance the program each and every day, just as my predecessors did. We are trying to accelerate the leadership development of the future agricultural leaders of Nebraska and beyond. We hope to help all our participants find out what they are truly passionate about in the agricultural industry and to provide them with the necessary tools to become effective leaders. IL For more information about the Nebraska LEAD program, please contact Terry Hejny at thejny1@unl.edu or (402) 472-6810, or visit the LEAD website at lead.unl.edu/.

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Joshua Dill: Please tell us about your background.

programs, irrigation systems have become ever more

Irrigation’s extension program specialist in landscape

Charles Swanson: I am an extension-program specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service based in the biological and agricultural engineering department at Texas A&M University. The School of Irrigation is an extension program within this agency. I grew up on an irrigated rice farm on the gulf coast of Texas. My familiarity with rice farm irrigation was an important factor in my choice to study agricultural engineering and agricultural systems management, focusing on irrigation, as an undergraduate at Texas A&M. I continued that work during my graduate studies at Texas A&M as well, in which I studied irrigation for rice efficiency. When I graduated, I was offered the opportunity to continue the work I was doing in this department for Dr. Guy Fipps, who created the School of Irrigation in the early 1990s to address irrigation education needs. I have been working for Dr. Fipps and the School of Irrigation since January 2008.

lead at Texas A&M and how it trains irrigation

Joshua Dill: Would you tell us about the history of the School of Irrigation?

in hand. With new sensors, controls, and software

efficient with the goal of increasing yields for water users. However, some professionals are left wondering how

to use these new technologies or unsure of their benefits. To remedy this, Texas A&M University started the

School of Irrigation to provide training and research findings to agricultural and landscape irrigation

professionals. The program aims to promote efficient irrigation practices and to coordinate irrigation research and development to benefit researchers and irrigators alike.

In an interview with Joshua Dill, the managing editor

of Irrigation Leader, Charles Swanson, the School of

irrigation, discusses the program he and Dr. Guy Fipps professionals on new technologies and equips them with data to better manage their operations.

34 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Charles Swanson: The School of Irrigation was established in 1994 with the primary purpose of providing landscape irrigation training. In the early 1990s, the program received a grant from the Texas Water Development Board to evaluate the potential cost savings of adopting landscapeirrigation auditing in Texas. That grant allowed extension specialists to attend a variety of auditing programs, like the one at the Irrigation Training and Research Center in

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TEXAS A&M SCHOOL OF IRRIGATION.

n today’s world, technology and irrigation go hand

California. They adapted what they learned to create a Landscape Irrigation Auditing and Management Program in Texas. That program became the first course in the School of Irrigation. At that time, there were no rules or regulations regarding auditing in Texas, so the school also offered a voluntary auditor certification training program. Additional landscape irrigation courses were added over time. In 1998, the school began offering training programs for water districts on subjects including irrigation district engineering and GIS water-flow measurement and management. The school has also offered various courses over the years on topics like drip irrigation and centerpivot irrigation. We currently have an online course on center-pivot irrigation operation and management. Joshua Dill: How has the School of Irrigation’s programming changed over the 20 years of its existence? Charles Swanson: Over the last 10 years, during which I have been here, we have adopted online training programs, which give growers and users across the country access to our training materials. Joshua Dill: Would you describe your student body? Charles Swanson: Our program educates around 400 professionals every year. The majority of our students are landscape irrigation professionals. The State of Texas has an irrigation license program that certifies licensed landscape irrigation inspectors, licensed landscape irrigators, and licensed landscape irrigation technicians. Those certifications are managed by the state. Maintaining those licenses requires participation in continuing education courses. Our program is one of the largest providers of those educational courses. On the agricultural side, we have had a wide mix of users. Our online center-pivot course attracts people in Texas who are interested in purchasing

their first pivot and are searching for information. Our program has had lots of experience with international training. We have held in-person programs in Iraq and in Africa on center-pivot irrigation. Joshua Dill: How do your classes address changes in technology?

“

In our program, we regularly evaluate and test new products and technologies. The information we collect from our evaluation programs is a crucial part of our training materials. — Charles Swanson

”

Charles Swanson: The majority of our classes are highly focused on technology. In our program, we regularly evaluate and test new products and technologies. The information we collect from our evaluation programs is a crucial part of our training materials. What we teach is not just theory, but practical information about these technologies. Joshua Dill: Would you provide an example of how you incorporate the information you gather into your classes? Charles Swanson: We do lots of extension demonstrations with growers and county agricultural agents around Texas, and we document our findings. For example, if a grower updates the sprinklers on their pivot, we evaluate and document the experience of

that grower and the advantages in yield or management they may have experienced. We then use that information in our training program to educate other users who may be interested in adopting the same product or technology. Joshua Dill: Which classes are most in demand by your students? Charles Swanson: As I mentioned, a majority of our students are landscape professionals, so there is a real mix of topics. There are 14 classes we are approved to teach for continuing education by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The most popular courses revolve around technology, for example, computeraided design courses in which we teach students how to design irrigation systems using computer programs. The classes on smart-technology controllers and sensors are also popular. Any course with a hands-on component, such as our auditing program, in which students learn by using a real system, is popular. Students prefer that sort of training to being in a classroom, working on worksheets and theory. Joshua Dill: Would you tell us about how your classes incorporate smart controllers and computer-aided design? What recent developments have occurred with that sort of technology? Charles Swanson: Our computer-aided design courses help train irrigators to create better irrigation systems. The biggest advantage of those software packages is their calculation tools. Irrigators whose math skills may not be so strong can rely on these programs to calculate things like pipe sizes, friction loss, and flow rates. They can also use these programs to evaluate the performance of their systems and to evaluate different layouts for their systems. When it comes to smart controllers, we are able to offer a unique and independent perspective on different technologies, because we have actually IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM

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Students in the Irrigation Troubleshooting and Performance Testing course evaluate mock irrigation systems in the classroom.

used these systems and can say which ones performed best. In our training, students actually have the opportunity to program different controllers, which allows them to learn how they work and how to use them in the field with their clientele. Joshua Dill: Would you tell us about your classes on using wind and solar power for irrigation? Charles Swanson: Irrigators need to be efficient not only in the amount of water they use but also with how they pump their water. Training on solar- and wind-powered pumping technologies has helped irrigators manage the costs of grid power and pressurizing their systems. Joshua Dill: What about your program is specific to conditions in Texas?

Joshua Dill: Do your alumni stay involved with the program? Charles Swanson: We have a lot of return students on the landscape irrigation side. Many students come back to our programs every year instead of going to private providers.

36 | IRRIGATION LEADER

Dr. Guy Fipps conducts a lecture during a short course in irrigation auditing.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE TEXAS A&M SCHOOL OF IRRIGATION.

Charles Swanson: Our ties with the university extension system give us access to the latest research in irrigation. We have research centers all around the state focusing on different regional challenges, and we are able to reach out to researchers there to learn about their knowledge and experience to enhance our training programs.

In a field exercise in the Landscape Irrigation Auditing and Management Course, students learn how to use catch cans to measure sprinkler precipitation rate and uniformity.

Joshua Dill: Could you tell us about the certifications and recognitions your program has?

Joshua Dill: What is the School of Irrigation’s vision for the future?

Charles Swanson: Since we created this program in 1994, our program has become a professional certification organization and a part of the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense Program. That means that students attend specific training and meet basic guideline requirements to become certified professionals. In particular, we certify students as Texas-certified landscape irrigation auditors. That program is certified with an EPA WaterSense label. One benefit of that is that the students who complete the certification are listed in a database on the EPA’s website so that people can search for them.

Charles Swanson: I see us expanding our online course catalog. A majority of our participants are based in Texas, but a lot of people from outside the state do find us online. I foresee expanding these online programs over the next few years to reach a broader audience interested in irrigation and water conservation. IL Charles Swanson is an extension program specialist at Texas A&M’s School of Irrigation. He can be contacted at clswanson@tamu.edu.

IRRIGATIONLEADERMAGAZINE.COM

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Irrigation Leader January 2019

Articles inside

Training Irrigators on High-Tech Systems

From Nebraska to the World: The Nebraska LEAD Program

Ensuring Quality in Irrigation Devices and Courses

Cal Poly's Thriving Irrigation Training Center

Arizona's Practitioner-Led Water Management Program

The Next Generation of Nebraska Water Leaders

Training a New Generation of Irrigation Leaders