The invention that changed irrigation

How a California grower’s persistence reshaped agricultural water delivery — an impact still felt nearly a century later.

In a shed in Glendora, California, in the late 1920s and early ’30s, citrus grower Orton Englehart was hard at work, tinkering with pieces and parts, on a mission to find a better way to irrigate his orange grove. Everything from tin cans to whisk springs became reimagined and repurposed with one goal: devising a better, more efficient, more uniform method of delivering water to his grove.

IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial message
IA CEO Natasha Rankin highlights the spring season focus on innovation, block irrigation technology, center pivot data tools and EQIP policy advocacy.
Economy
Economist Renata Rimšaitė examines how crop diversification can reduce irrigation risk and stabilize farm income, while noting the real barriers growers face in making the switch.
Legislative update
IA Director of Policy and Technical Affairs Andrew Morris identifies four policy developments giving irrigation professionals more planning certainty: USDA funding, farm relief, EQIP baseline increases and tax provisions.
Tech corner
Mazzei VP Jim Lauria argues that modern irrigation systems must deliver not just water but nutrients, chemicals and oxygen with the same uniformity — broadening how the industry defines distribution uniformity.
Association news
Get the latest Irrigation Association updates.
Industry insights
By paring classroom learning with industry access, E3 supports the next generation of irrigation professionals.
- Weather outlook
  USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey surveys a patchwork U.S. water picture heading into spring, with California reservoirs brimming, Colorado River storage low and southern drought expanding.

FEATURES

Precision perfected

Modern automated block irrigation is transforming vineyards and orchards with smart valves, real-time sensing and AI guidance — helping growers optimize water, labor and yield quality.

Federal policy spotlight: EQIP and irrigation in 2026 and beyond

IA Director of Policy and Technical Affairs Andrew Morris breaks down the EQIP landscape for 2026: new funding levels under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and four key factors that will shape irrigators’ success.

Every inch counts

Flow meters, pressure sensors and telemetry are giving center pivot growers real-time visibility into water use, but the experts say regular maintenance and uniformity basics matter just as much.