2025 National Master Irrigator Summit Assembled Irrigation Leaders from Across the U.S.
Master Irrigator leaders met to collaborate and strengthen programs nationwide, hosted by the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute in Arkansas.
Master Irrigator program representatives attended the 2025 National Master Irrigator Summit (in-person and hybrid) from 13 states, coast to coast, representing the full range of crops and irrigation system types in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Winthrop Rockefeller Institute).
Fort Collins, CO — September 29, 2025 — Agricultural water conservation leaders from across the country gathered at the beautiful Winthrop Rockefeller Institute atop scenic Petit Jean Mountain for the 2nd National Master Irrigator Summit, September 8-10, 2025.
The annual event brings together coordinators, partners, and stakeholders involved with established and emerging Master Irrigator (MI) programs nationwide to share insights and chart paths forward in this collective effort to equip farmers in viable ag irrigation practices, especially in agriculturally dependent regions facing water challenges. Representatives attended (in-person and hybrid) from 13 states, coast to coast, representing the full range of crops and irrigation system types in the U.S.
“This convening is about more than just sharing updates,” said Amy Kremen, associate director of the Irrigation Innovation Consortium, which provides leadership and support for MI programs nationwide.
“It’s about building a national network of irrigation leaders focused on equipping producers for advanced water stewardship and agricultural resilience.”
Kremen and Chris Henry, a professor and water management engineer with the University of Arkansas Extension, led the summit planning and coordination. Kimberly Bolin, a program officer at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (WRI), facilitated and coordinated meeting sessions and discussions, a crucial service provided by the host institution.
“More than the intentional hospitality and private, pastoral setting we provide, the Institute’s methodology is focused on solving problems collaboratively,” Bolin said. “We know that the strength of our ideas and solutions depends upon our differences. The states and entities represented in this room proved that this idea is still true. I appreciated everyone’s willingness to be open about their struggles and victories with people they may not have known before arriving at the Institute. This dialogue was better for it, and I look forward to seeing this network grow.”
The summit’s engaging and interactive sessions included:
Program Impact & Evaluation: States shared tools and data used to assess program effectiveness and on-the-ground impact, discussing how to improve and collaborate on evaluation methods to support compelling messaging at local, regional, and national scales.
Program Development: To support leaders from several states in attendance at various stages of developing new programs, existing program leaders discussed the essential components of launching and sustaining a Master Irrigator program, from curriculum design and staffing to funding and partnerships.
Driving Momentum: Breakout sessions examined reach, core impacts, and opportunities for increased collaboration with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, conservation districts, and industry partners.
Outdoor Networking: Attendees enjoyed a hike and social time on Petit Jean Mountain, fostering informal connections and reflection.
Fireside Chat: Janet Harris, WRI executive director, moderated a one-on-one conversation with Amanda Mathis, Arkansas State Conservationist for USDA NRCS, on water concerns in the state and examples of successful partnerships like MI programs that support producers and rural communities.
Representatives from Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Minnesota, and Georgia presented program updates, highlighting successes and challenges. Representatives from Kansas and Nebraska presented programs in development; Arkansas is also seeking to add MI to its current extension irrigation educational and interactive programming. Additional state representatives interested in starting programs joined parts of the summit online.
“This convening is about ... building a national network of irrigation leaders focused on
equipping producers for advanced water stewardship and agricultural resilience”
Arkansas Field Day
Chris Henry and his team from the University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center organized an engaging field day in Stuttgart, Arkansas, for those attending the 2025 National Master Irrigator Summit. (Photo by Christine Hamilton)
Chris Henry and his team from the University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center organized an engaging field day in Stuttgart, Arkansas. Attendees were treated to field-side views of cutting-edge rice irrigation technologies such as camera-guided tillage, polymer-coated nitrogen, nitric acid fertilizer, recirculating fertigation, pit-less tailwater irrigation, and mobile app tools for water management. They even had a chance to punch holes in lay-flat plastic pipe designed to support water conservation in furrow irrigated systems.
The day also included a stop at the USDA ARS National Rice Research Center where participants learned from Center Director Yulin Jia’s research on rice and specialty rice cultivars and from researcher Jai Rohilia’s breeding efforts into water stress tolerance in rice. From there, the group traveled to the Bayou Meto Irrigation District to learn about a large surface water management project aimed at reducing the need to depend on aquifer withdrawals across tens of thousands of acres in their district.
Akin to “Master Gardener,” Master Irrigator is a training course offering at least 24 hours of instruction focused on precision irrigation management for profitable agricultural outcomes and success with water conservation. Local, producer-led advisory committees tailor programs to regional needs, drawing on hydrology, agronomy, engineering, technology, and business planning expertise. MI emphasizes peer-to-peer and hands-on learning, interactive discussion, networking, and practical precision agriculture strategies to reduce costs, inputs, and labor while improving water use efficiency.
“A growing number of state-level Master Irrigator programs, along with aspiring program leads, have met on a semi-regular basis since 2018, finding it highly beneficial to compare experiences,” Kremen said. “The more recent expansion of the program beyond the High Plains into the southeast, combined with major support from NRCS for multi-state collaboration to strengthen and expand MI programs, has led this group to start to convene more regularly. That began with an in-person meeting in August 2024 in Nebraska that introduced the growing group of program coordinators to one another.”
Founded by the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District, Dumas, Texas, in 2016, subsequent MI programs have followed its format, with established programs helping new ones start and providing creative inspiration for ways to design and implement locally adapted elements suited to their participants’ needs and interests. State MI programs are run by university extension services, non-profit organizations, and conservation districts.
Graduates of MI programs often gain access to additional support, including technical assistance, financial incentives, and, in some states, enhanced USDA-NRCS EQIP ranking for cost sharing that helps fund irrigation water management practices, system updates, and access to advanced technologies. Data shows that the majority of program graduates implement meaningful changes in their operations, influencing water management across well over one hundred thousand acres annually.
“Meeting in Arkansas achieved a goal set by the group [at the 2024 summit] to engage in-person next in the southeast, to learn more about the water management opportunities and challenges of this region,” Kremen said. “We sincerely appreciate the University of Arkansas team and the WRI for welcoming us to Arkansas and for the opportunity to hold this event at WRI’s beautiful conference space.
“MI programs are helping producers make smarter decisions about water, and this gathering is a chance to strengthen efforts by collaborating on curriculum, program format, adaptation, and sustaining programs through shared partnerships.”
The Irrigation Innovation Consortium supports the development, testing and improvement of advanced irrigation management tools and strategies for water manager success. Part of Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, IIC projects include a multi-state project supporting expansion of two producer-driven programs across the U.S.: Master Irrigator and Testing Ag Performance Solutions. Learn more at irrigationinnovationconsortium.org.
The Winthrop Rockefeller Institute is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to continue Winthrop Rockefeller’s collaborative approach to transformational change. We do this work by employing the “Rockefeller Ethic” which represents the belief that diversity of opinion, engaging in respectful dialogue, and practicing collaborative problem-solving combine to create transformational change.