With around 1.8 million acres of irrigated land in Washington, there’s a growing need for knowledgeable professionals who can help farmers, cities, and communities use water wisely. Many landowners and municipalities don’t have easy access to technical assistance to plan, install, and manage efficient irrigation systems. To help meet that need, the Columbia Basin Conservation District (CBCD) hosted a three-day Irrigation Water Management (IWM) Training on May 13–15, 2025. This was the first event held in CBCD’s newly completed office.

The training brought together 31 conservation district staff, six CBCD employees, and two City of Moses Lake representatives. The goal was to equip Conservation District and NRCS employees with the skills to improve water management in public spaces like parks, cemeteries, and schools.

Over three days, participants covered topics such as soil-water relationships, pump efficiency, drone use, soil moisture monitoring, and water measurement tools. On the final day, they went on a field trip to see a Mobile Drip Irrigation system in action, a permanent sub-surface drip irrigation setup, and learned to evaluate center pivot irrigation using catch cans. They also observed soil moisture sensors and automated climate stations being installed.

(Left: Griffin Hansen presenting at the field day. Right: Harold Crose, CBCD Senior Technical Advisor, presenting at CBCD’s new office)

A key takeaway came from CBCD Senior Technical Advisor Harold Crose: “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” This idea highlighted the importance of data-driven water management throughout the training.

This event supports CBCD’s mission to promote efficient water use, which is vital as 80% of Washington’s irrigation water withdrawals serve agriculture. As climate change adds pressure on water resources, this training helps communities make every drop count.