Charles Burt

CHARLES M. BURT, Irrigation and Drainage Consultant.  Professor emeritus of Irrigation and Founder of the Irrigation Training and Research Center (ITRC), California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California. Dr. Burt received a B.S. in Soil Science (Honors) from Cal Poly, an M.S. in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering from USU. Experiences include professional work in 30 countries, three tours in Vietnam as a combat demolition specialist, work as a farm laborer in the San Joaquin Valley as a youth, designer/sales/installation in a major irrigation dealership in Fresno, partner in a consulting agricultural engineering firm, and 40 years at Cal Poly where he previously taught core irrigation classes, and provided applied technical assistance (with some research) through ITRC. He has written and worked extensively regarding on-farm irrigation system design, water balances, irrigation efficiency, the energy-water nexus, canal automation, fertigation, pumps, and irrigation project modernization. Over the years he has received a variety of awards including, the Person of the Year from the Irrigation Association, the Royce J. Tipton Award from ASCE, and the USCID Merriam Improved Irrigation Award. He is a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer with the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and is a Registered Professional Engineer in California in both Civil and Agricultural Engineering and is a Civil Engineer in Arizona and Montana.  He was the original chairman of the Irrigation Association Designer Certification Board.  Over the years, he has worked on hundreds of applied projects that have resulted in improved field results.
Phone: 805-748-3863
Address: 171 Twin Ridge Dr.
San Luis Obispo, CA  93405
USA