Irrigation technology, according to Dewey L. Shroyer, Director of Grounds Maintenance Department at Texas Tech University (TTU) in Lubbock, Texas, has made irrigating the campus much easier in recent years. Making sure that the entire 832-acre campus of TTU-- one of the country's larger college campuses -- is adequately watered at the most efficient times is much easier due to the use of state-of-the-art irrigation technology. "During the period between 1966 and 1997 we were using an irrigation system that had to be controlled manually. This meant that someone had to actually go to [each of] the 54 different controllers on campus and turn them off and on as necessary," explains Shroyer. He continues, "We have very high winds in Lubbock, often reaching 30 to 40 miles per hour or more. In fact, a sustained 30 mph wind is not at all unusual and under those circumstances, as well as when it rained, we had to send our people out to cut the sprinklers off." There is no question that Dewey L. Shroyer is a most knowledgeable grounds maintenance director. A graduate Landscape Architect who went to work at Texas Tech in 1966, Shroyer was made a superintendent in 1973, and was named to his current position as director in 1974. In 1991, he was awarded The Frederick Law Olmsted Award for his efforts in contributing to the beauty of the Texas Tech campus. Many university campus maintenance directors utilize their own well water for irrigation. "In 1979, we drilled our first irrigation well-- 140 feet with water at 43 feet. We now have seven irrigation wells on the TTU campus, and are looking to drill more as money becomes available," remarks Shroyer. He continues, "Despite the source of the water, everything here is measured in miles, and so we had to look for irrigation systems for the campus and its auxiliary sites that would answer all our needs." "When we finally got the money to replace our 1966-era controllers, we looked to the major manufacturers to see what systems they had to offer. I looked carefully at the available systems, checking them out. Then, with my staff, I sat down and wrote a set of specifications setting out what we would like to see in the equipment we purchased," Shroyer explains. "Then those specs went out for bid." Lubbock-based Watermaster Irrigation Supply, Inc. was one of the firms that received the specifications. Jeff Fletcher, a licensed irrigator who works at Watermaster, believed the new Evolution DX2 Central Computer System, engineered by Rain Master, would meet the specifications. But Dewey Shroyer needed to see the system in action, so he went to check its use on a California campus. He was convinced and decided it would answer TTU needs. The idea of radio-controlled satellite controllers to reach all the remote areas the system needed to reach, and the variety of readings available from the system is what "sold" Shroyer. His own ground maintenance personnel installed the entire system that is on-line today. The use of the new control system has intensified the way that the TTU Grounds Maintenance Department can keep a tight rein on their extensive irrigation system. "Instead of one or two men going to check on a multitude of controllers throughout the campus, the medical center, the office building and the farm, the system is managed by radio; if something is not operating properly, it can be spotted and repaired within hours, not days as it was before," Shroyer remarks. Today, there are 50 controllers/satellites in use. The central computer is set to monitor from 6 to 48 stations on each of the controllers. Dewey Shroyer concludes that, "the system not only makes our work easier, but it is much more effective with just one person at the controls on the TTU campus. Other personnel can get to the trouble spots quickly and fix a problem effectively. With what we have in place now, I believe we are ready to drill more wells, use our well water for irrigation and make sure that the water is used most effectively." lasn One of the irrigation installations on the Texas Tech University campus which handles a number of areas-- this one is near the center of the campus. Director of Grounds Maintenance, Landscape Architect Dewey Shroyer, personally checks the "Weather Station" at TTU. A small antenna atop the tallest building on campus sends radio signals to the irrigation system throughout the campus and to "the farm." Photo by Kay Tiller. The end result of a high-tech irrigation investment. Photo provided courtesy of Texas Tech University Photographic Services.