Irrigation (Lyndon Kelley)

Irrigation plays a big part in agriculture. Learn all the ins and outs of agricultural irrigation, and find resources to meet your needs. We are delighted to partner with Michigan State University Extension and Lyndon Kelley, Irrigation Educator, to provide information for all of your irrigation concerns:

269-467-5511 (office), 269-535-0343 (cell)
612 E. Main St, Centreville, MI 49032

Add me to the Irrigation Large volume water use list!

Find on this page:

Upcoming Meetings  

Specialty Crops Information

Bulletins & Websites

Indiana Water Use Policy

Irrigation Resources (intended for both Indiana and Michigan unless otherwise noted)

MSU Agricultural Climatologist Dr. Jeff Andresen and MSU Bio-Systems Engineering Agricultural Water Use Specialist Steven Miller have developed a web based irrigation scheduling system that downloads rainfall and solar radiation data directly from the Michigan Agricultural Weather Network (MAWN).  The system is entirely web based; field data is entered and retrieved in a password protected user id system.  There is no charge for the use of this system.  The initial field setup requires a latitude and longitude for the field to be able to pull weather data from the most local weather station.  Accuracy of the system still relies on collecting and entering rainfall information from rain gauges placed in the fields.  The program has the ability to generate the MDA water use reporting form at the end of the season.  Be sure to write down and keep track of your user ID, password and field IDs.

Other Irrigation Scheduling Programs:

The Michiana Irrigation Scheduler Program was developed jointly by MSU and Purdue Universities in the early 1990's.  The program can be used to schedule irrigation but does not use solar radiation from weather station and is somewhat more limited in ability to adjust soil moisture levels during the growing season.  To download the program onto your computer, you can go to the Purdue University Web Site listed below:

Irris Scheduler

Irrigation System Uniformity Evaluations

Water Use Reporting for Michigan Producers

Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool registration requests or on the State of Michigan DEQ page at http://www.michigan.gov/wateruse

The following is a brief summary of water use reporting as it relates to agriculture.

General Information:

  • The need to report is based on having the combined capacity to pump 100,000 gallons per day (70 gallons per minute). This means all the capacities of wells under the control of one operator are added together to determine if they are required to report.
  • Water use reporting will impact virtually all irrigators that do not use a municipal water supply, including greenhouses, nurseries and golf courses.
  • Water use reporting will impact many medium to large livestock producers and may impact larger farm operations that have several wells at various sites that are used solely for human consumption and necessities.

2008 Changes to Water Use Legislation

Farmers report to MDARD:

Michigan Right to Farm Act Irrigation GAAMP's

Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices for Irrigation Water Use - January 2017

MIWWAT Training Videos

https://www.egr.msu.edu/bae/water/irrigation/irrigation-water-law

Irrigation Costs

Irrigation Fact Sheets Developed by Lyndon Kelley

Irrigation Resources Developed by Lyndon Kelley

Irrigation Presentations

Irrigated Soybean Meeting Presentations

Michiana Irrigation Association Board for 2021

  •  Jeremy Walker - President
  •  Mike Morehouse - Vice-President
  •  Ben Russell - Secretary/Treasurer
  • Joel Annable
  • Todd Feenstra
  • Tom Frank
  • Justin Gentz
  • Brian McKenzie
  • Doug Pedler
 
Presentations from the December 16, 2022 Annual Meeting:
Presentations from the December 14, 2018 Annual Meeting:
  • Foundations of Network Security for the Farm - Michael Pearson, WatchGuard Technologies
  • Indiana Water Policy Update - Todd Feenstra, Tritium & David Lampe, Indiana USGS
  • Michigan Water Use Policy Updates
    • Passing of HB-5638 - Representative Aaron Miller, District 59
    • Explanation of SSR Under New Law - Todd Feenstra, Tritium
    • Updates on Cass County Project - Todd Feenstra, Tritium
  • Power for Irrigation - Lyndon Kelley, MSU Extension & Purdue Extension
  • Irrigation on Grain Sorghum and Wheat - Steve Miller, MSU Biosystems Agricultural Engineering
  • Current Business Climate - Michael Langemeier, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue Extension
  • Outlook for Michiana Irrigated Agriculture
  • Tar Spot - A Disease of Concern for Irrigated Corn - Bruce MacKellar, MSU Extension Field Crops
 Presentations from the December 15, 2017 Annual Meeting:
  • Irrigated Land Rent and Farmland Value: Where have we been, what’s next - Howard Halderman, Halderman Real Estate and Farm Management Service, Inc.
  • Water Use Registration and Reporting in Indiana and Michigan - IDNR and MDARD Personnel
  • Michigan’s Un-Registered Large Volume Water Use Initiative - Lyndon Kelley, MSU/Purdue Extension Irrigation Educator
    • Notification of Existing Unreported Large Quantity Water Withdrawal (LQW) Installed Before October 1, 2008 form
  • Michigan Legislation to Streamline the Site Specific Review Process - Laura Campbell, Michigan Farm Bureau, Manager Ag Ecology Department
  • Technologies are Available to Manage Irrigation - Daran R. Rudnick, Ph.D., Irrigation Management Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • The Indiana LENK Group and the Michigan Cass County Pilot Project - Todd Feenstra, LPG (licensed professional geologist), President of Tritium, Inc.
  • Know the Pumping Impacts of Your Irrigation Well: Practical and Cost-Effective Monitoring - Seth Miller, Hydrogeologist, Tritium, Inc.
  • Irrigation and Its Role in Farm Profitability and Resource Use Efficiency - Daran R. Rudnick, Ph.D., Irrigation Management Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Corn and Soybean Markets 2018 and the Next Five Years - Dr. Chris Hurt, Agricultural Economics, Purdue University
Presentation from the December 14, 2015 Annual Meeting:
Presentations from the December 15, 2014 Annual Meeting:
Presentations from the Dec. 14, 2012 Annual Meeting:

Become a new member of the Michiana Irrigation Association

Michiana Irrigation Association By-laws

Affiliated member of the Irrigation Association