ASIC 2009 Excellence in Irrigation Awards

A record number of irrigation professionals submitted landmark projects this year for the American Society of Irrigation Consultants’ (ASIC) 2009 Excellence in Irrigation Awards. Other winning projects include:

Irrigation templates for the State of California;
First LEED for Schools certification in the nation;
400,000-galllon-per-day collection, filtration, storage and delivery system;
Condensate “blow-down” system provides 90 percent of site water; and more.

ASIC’s annual National Excellence in Irrigation Awards recognize the sound science and judgment required of an independent irrigation consultant. Each year, Honor and Merit Awards, independently judged by professors of irrigation science at Cal Poly Pomona, are given based on the quality of project planning and design in functionalism, environmental responsibility and relevance. This year’s recipients include:

ASIC Honor Award Winners

LADERA RANCH MASTER-PLANNED COMMUNITY, ORANGE CITY, CA
Steve Hohl, Water Concern, LTD., Orange, CA
Commercial & Public Works Category
Project Highlight: Ten-year phase-in of 741 landscaped acres using captured urban runoff flowing through a two-plus mile constructed wetlands providing approximately 400,000 gallons per day for reuse.

MINIMUM CATCH-CUP QUANTITIES
Brian Vinchesi, Irrigation Consulting, Pepperell, MA
Research Category
Project Highlight: Conclusively determines minimum numbers of catch-can devices required to accurately repeat irrigation auditing results.

BETHKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, TIMNATH, CO
J.D. Leonard, Aqua Engineering, Inc., Ft. Collins, CO
Commercial & Public Works Category
Point of Intrigue: First LEED for Schools certification in the nation using computer modeling to optimize sprinkler, nozzle, pressure and spacing design specifications driven by a central control system with an integrated weather station for automatic response to daily ET.

VERBENA FIELDS RESTORATION PROJECT, CHICO, CA
Paige Gimbal, Land Image Landscape Architects & Planners, Chico, CA
Commercial & Public Works Category
Project Highlight: This 20-plus acre former gravel quarry utilizes a temporary irrigation system to establish native plants and restore the site to resemble its native habitats, replete with Mechoopda Indian Interpretive site and walking trails.

ASIC Merit Award Winners

CITY NORTH PHASE 1B, PHOENIX, AZ
Gaylon Coates, Coates Irrigation Consultants, Gilbert, AZ
Commercial & Public Works Category
Project Highlight: Silver LEED Certified by capturing, storing, cleaning and delivering air-conditioning cooling tower ‘blow-down’ waste water for 90 percent of turf and drip irrigation needs.

WASHINGTON MONUMENT PHYSICAL SECURITY PROJECT, WASHINGTON, D.C.
Brendan Lynch, Lynch & Associates, Annapolis, MD
Commercial & Public Works Category
Project Highlight: Provides a72-acre, aesthetically acceptable “safe-zone” around the Washington Monument to prevent potential attack, while maintain its existing site characteristics. Project also included feasibility study for use of Potomac River Tidal Basin as irrigation water source.

“SMART FROM THE START” – STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Ivy Munion, ISC Group, Livermore, CA
Planning & Analysis Category
Project Highlight: Irrigation design templates were prepared for California Urban Water Conservation Council to complement landscape templates, and a checklist and scoring structure developed to brand the program for new residential developments.

CAMP LAKE JAMES, LAKE JAMES, NC
Travis Hall, Hydro-Environmental, Inc., Marietta, GA
Commercial & Public Works Category
Project Highlight: Project utilizes more than four miles of inline drip irrigation tubing managed and monitored by ET, rain and freeze sensors, and reduced water delivery of the original design-build system by 65 percent.

JACK IN THE BOX, SAN DIEGO, CA
Sharon Thompson, Hydropoint Data Systems, Petaluma, CA
Commercial & Public Works Category
Project Highlight: Designed to reduce San Diego Jack in the Box water footprint by more than 1 million gallons using integrated irrigation controls that also reduce energy consumption, operating costs, hardscape damage and overall liability.

“Each recipient showed tremendous skill and versatility in master planning or analyzing the needs of large, demanding irrigation projects with challenging site conditions to the satisfaction of multiple constituents,” said Bob Scott, ASIC president. “Creating logical water solutions to such large, complex projects clearly demonstrate the skill and innovation of this year’s award winners.”

The goal of ASIC’s Annual Excellence in Irrigation Awards is to recognize outstanding independent irrigation consultants while promoting the value of project design that incorporates the needs and resources of clients with the most progressive science and engineering available.