Irrigation Association
Encyclopedia
The Irrigation Association (IA) is a membership organization
, founded in 1949, that includes over 2,000 American irrigation companies and professionals in agriculture
, landscape
and golf
.
Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia
, IA promotes efficient irrigation technologies, products and services in an effort to ensure water is available for irrigation for future generations. Members can include irrigation equipment and system manufacturers, dealers, distributors, designers, consultants, contractors, educators, government entities, technical members, water providers and end users.
IA-certified irrigation contractors, landscape/turf irrigation designers, and golf
and landscape
irrigation auditors qualify to become Environmental Protection Agency
WaterSense
partners.
Certified irrigation designers with a specialty in sprinkler, surface or drip-micro qualify to become Technical Service Providers for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects through the Natural Resources Conservation Service
.
In September 2010, IA began offering computer based testing for certification exams to advance its long-term goal of accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
education
. Established more than two decades ago with the simple goal of granting scholarships to students, the Foundation was re-launched in 2005. Its new mission is to advance the irrigation industry using education that both attracts people into the profession and ensures ongoing professional success. The Foundation promotes education, career awareness and career recruitment through programs for both students and industry professionals.
Focused on July, traditionally the month of peak demand in North America
, the campaign is designed to:
Representative John Linder
(R-GA) introduced H.Con.Res.118C: "Supporting the goals of Smart Irrigation Month, which recognizes the advances in irrigation technology and practices that help raise healthy plants and increase crop yields while using water resources more efficiently and encourages the adoption of smart irrigation practices throughout the United States
to further improve water-use efficiency in agricultural, residential, and commercial activities."
The program unites water providers, irrigation manufacturers, distributors, consultants, contractors, plus related professional industry associations to identify, research and promote technological innovations that advance efficient water use. Key goals are developing performance testing protocols and marketing tools for efficient irrigation product categories to promote market acceptance.
, soil type, and salinity
. The test is designed to expose the sensor to a wide range of conditions that exist in the field.
Membership organization
A membership organization is a broad term for a group or body which has members. Typically any member of the public can join and a membership fee or "subscription" is payable, but arrangements vary widely...
, founded in 1949, that includes over 2,000 American irrigation companies and professionals in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
.
Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
, IA promotes efficient irrigation technologies, products and services in an effort to ensure water is available for irrigation for future generations. Members can include irrigation equipment and system manufacturers, dealers, distributors, designers, consultants, contractors, educators, government entities, technical members, water providers and end users.
Certification
Since 1983, IA has offered training courses and education classes through its Select Certified program. Certification programs include:- Certified Irrigation Designer (CID)
- Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor (CLIA)
- Certified Golf Irrigation Auditor (CGIA)
- Certified Landscape Water Manager (CLWM)
- Certified Agricultural Irrigation Specialist (CAIS)
- Certified Agricultural Water Manager (CAWM)
IA-certified irrigation contractors, landscape/turf irrigation designers, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
irrigation auditors qualify to become Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
WaterSense
WaterSense
WaterSense is a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program designed to encourage water efficiency in the United States through the use of a special label on consumer products. It was launched in June 2006.-Background:...
partners.
Certified irrigation designers with a specialty in sprinkler, surface or drip-micro qualify to become Technical Service Providers for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects through the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Natural Resources Conservation Service
The Natural Resources Conservation Service , formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service , is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that provides technical assistance to farmers and other private landowners and managers.Its name was changed in 1994 during the Presidency of...
.
In September 2010, IA began offering computer based testing for certification exams to advance its long-term goal of accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.
Education
The Irrigation Foundation is a non-profit organization created by the Irrigation Association to be the recognized authority on irrigationIrrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. Established more than two decades ago with the simple goal of granting scholarships to students, the Foundation was re-launched in 2005. Its new mission is to advance the irrigation industry using education that both attracts people into the profession and ensures ongoing professional success. The Foundation promotes education, career awareness and career recruitment through programs for both students and industry professionals.
Smart Irrigation Month
Smart Irrigation Month is a campaign by the Irrigation Association to increase public awareness of the value of water-use efficiency and grow demand for water-saving products, practices and services.Focused on July, traditionally the month of peak demand in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the campaign is designed to:
- Educate homeowners, businesses, growers and other users about simple ways to save money and water.
- Encourage industry firms and professionals to promote smart irrigationIrrigationIrrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
practices and technologies to customers. - Help water providers minimize peak water use and reduce demands on infrastructureInfrastructureInfrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function...
in their communities. - Reinforce the role efficient irrigation plays in providing real solutions to today’s water challenges.
Representative John Linder
John Linder
John Elmer Linder is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.Linder announced that he would retire from Congress at the end of the 111th Congress....
(R-GA) introduced H.Con.Res.118C: "Supporting the goals of Smart Irrigation Month, which recognizes the advances in irrigation technology and practices that help raise healthy plants and increase crop yields while using water resources more efficiently and encourages the adoption of smart irrigation practices throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to further improve water-use efficiency in agricultural, residential, and commercial activities."
Smart Water Application Technologies program
The Smart Water Application Technologies program, which began in 2001, is a water provider and irrigation industry initiative to develop performance testing protocols and marketing tools for efficient irrigation products.The program unites water providers, irrigation manufacturers, distributors, consultants, contractors, plus related professional industry associations to identify, research and promote technological innovations that advance efficient water use. Key goals are developing performance testing protocols and marketing tools for efficient irrigation product categories to promote market acceptance.
“Smart” Controllers
A testing protocol was developed by the Irrigation Association to evaluate the performance of “smart” controllers.Soil Moisture Sensors
The Irrigation Association has developed a Soil Moisture Sensor protocol to evaluate sensors under laboratory conditions. This extensive evaluation looks at the sensor’s responses under varying levels of moistureMoisture
Humidity is the amount of moisture the air can hold before it rains. Moisture refers to the presence of a liquid, especially water, often in trace amounts...
, soil type, and salinity
Salinity
Salinity is the saltiness or dissolved salt content of a body of water. It is a general term used to describe the levels of different salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium and calcium sulfates, and bicarbonates...
. The test is designed to expose the sensor to a wide range of conditions that exist in the field.