Dawson Tire’s Mighty RhinoGator Tire
Dawson Tire and Wheel, based in Gothenburg, Nebraska, is well known for its irrigation tires and wheels. Its most famous product is quite recognizable: the bright green polyethylene RhinoGator pivot tire. The solid RhinoGator will never go flat or fill with water or mud, and it is also UV protected. In this interview, Eric MacPherson, […]
Improving Fish Passage With the Flexi Baffle
Efforts to improve fish passage in ecosystems like the Yakima River basin typically focus on large dams that block fish in a particularly obvious way. However, thousands of culverts in the small tributaries that feed a river system can block salmon and other fish from their spawning grounds, too. One solution for this problem is […]
Developing Weed-Resistant Concrete
Any irrigation district with open canals has to deal with weeds, algae, and moss. Removing these obstacles to water flow can be expensive, time-consuming, and environmentally hazardous. This is the problem that Craig Gyselinck, environmental assistant manager at Washington’s Quincy-Columbia Basin Irrigation District, is seeking to solve with his research into weed-resistant concrete. In this […]
Whooshh’s Innovative Fish Passage Solution—Save Water, Save Fish
Fish passage requirements can pose a challenge to dam owners and operators, including irrigation districts. Traditional fish passage installations like fish ladders can require a significant amount of time and money to install. To solve this problem, Whooshh Innovations has created a portable, modular, and technologically advanced fish passage system that accelerates fish through a […]
How Lindsay’s Remote Pivot Management Software Boosts Efficiency
Lindsay Corporation has been innovating in the irrigation and infrastructure worlds for over half a century. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, the company has a global presence. Lindsay’s innovative tools for irrigated agriculture include its FieldNET integrated remote monitoring and management software and its full line of FieldNET hardware devices. In this interview, Reece Andrews, a […]
McCrometer’s Pivot-Ready Flow Meters
McCrometer and its engineering team have built flow meters for over 60 years, refining and improving them along the way. From mechanical propeller meters to electromagnetic meters with signal outputs, McCrometer has products for a wide variety of uses and situations. As center-pivot irrigation becomes more technologically sophisticated and draws on a wider range of data, […]
Besler Industries’ Pivot Track Closer
B esler Industries is a family-owned company based in Cambridge, Nebraska, that for more than 45 years has been manufacturing agricultural equipment and machinery. Its machines are designed in-house and are highly customizable. One of Besler Industries’ newest items is a pivot track closer, a device used to fill in the ruts caused by the wheels […]
The Dynamic Dyna Flo Pump
G eneral Irrigation and Dewatering of Oakes, NorthDakota, has been designing and installing deep-well and submersible pumps for over 50 years. One of its most versatile offerings is the Dyna Flo pump—a powerful, affordable, and easily towed pump that can pump 3,000–4,000 gallons of water a minute. It works well for draining flooded fields, flood […]
The High-Tech Way to Fight E. Coli
Ecoli-Sense is a startup company that has invented a nanomaterials-based device for instantaneously checking water supplies for E. coli contamination. Working either on the basis of a hand-held testing device or buoys that stay in a water body continuously, Ecoli-Sense’s system is both high tech and more affordable than traditional methods. In this interview, Ecoli-Sense’s […]
Why Solar Is an Intelligent Investment for Irrigators
As a state with cool weather and a lot of sun, Nebraska is an ideal location for solar-energy installations. Michael Shonka, the founder and president of Omaha-based Solar Heat and Electric, has been in the solar industry for over 30 years. In 2013, he installed a 25-kilowatt solar power installation on a center pivot for […]