About ITRC
ITRC is a center of excellence
housed within the
BioResource and Agricultural Engineering (BRAE)
Department of California Polytechnic State University
(Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo. The linkage to the
BRAE Department is unique among irrigation centers -
ITRC's organization was specifically developed as such
to ensure long-term positive benefits to Cal Poly's
academic irrigation teaching program - which
provides long-term benefits to California and the
nation. Cal Poly and ITRC are proud of their ability to
combine sophisticated theory with a "hands-on"
approach to provide a usable product. Many of the educational services
that ITRC provides are made possible by our
supporters
and their generous donations of services,
equipment, and funds. .JPG)
ITRC was officially formed in 1989, and continues to be self-supporting through contracts. The first commitment of ITRC is to enhance Cal Poly's strong irrigation teaching program through outside activities in training, research, and technical support. Focus areas include:
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Irrigation projects (irrigation district modernization, water balances, river basin return flow issues, SCADA, canal automation, pump automation, flow measurement, energy consumption, and efficiency);
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Farm irrigation (drip, surface, and sprinkler irrigation; drainage; salinity; energy consumption; irrigation evaluations; evapotranspiration; pumps);
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Landscape (primarily development of urban water conservation programs).
ITRC's modern engineering offices,
in addition to providing professional resources for ITRC
staff, also house two training rooms and office space
for both graduate and undergraduate
students. Outdoors is the unique
Water Resources Facility to demonstrate pumps, pump
testing, flow measurement, SCADA, and canal automation.
Additionally, the outdoor
Irrigation Practices Field contains a complete
assortment of on-farm and landscape irrigation systems
and equipment.
The center is run by Dr. Charles Burt (Chairman and Founder) and Dr. Stuart Styles (Director) - both recognized internationally as irrigation experts - with an excellent professional staff of 13 persons. Additionally, 15-25 students are hired at any one time to provide support. ITRC utilizes specialists from within and outside the university to provide additional expertise. As an example, ITRC has worked for several years with an international team to develop sophisticated canal automation algorithms.
ITRC is active throughout the western U.S. and the world
in irrigation research, technical assistance, and
environmental/energy assessments. For example:
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ITRC has numerous active irrigation district modernization projects throughout California, as well as in Washington, northern Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, Idaho, and Oklahoma. Most involve some aspect of energy conservation or environmental improvement while simultaneously modernizing irrigation districts.
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The World Bank, FAO/UN, UNDP, and others fund ITRC to provide expertise on irrigation modernization in China, Philippines, Vietnam, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, India, Pakistan, Mexico, and many other countries.
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Manufacturers hire ITRC for a wide variety of projects ranging from testing of polymers in irrigation on field trials, to determining friction on large diameter pipes, to examining the performance of new sprinklers and drip tape under both field and laboratory conditions.
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ITRC has been a major innovator in water-related peak load reduction and electrical energy conservation for the California Energy Commission, utilities, and others.
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ITRC actively participates in various water-related technical sessions and workshops of professional organizations such as the US Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.