Items representing the local and nationwide history of irrigation technology have been put on display in the Water Energy and Technology (WET) Incubator at Fresno State as part of the Irrigation Museum project. These items include sprinklers, valves, control boxes and other items.

The majority of the Irrigation Museum̢۪s items have been contributed by the Irrigation Association, Fresno State̢۪s own Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) and Glenn Bowlin, irrigation consultant with Broussard Associates in Clovis.

Kate Norum, project manager, put much emphasis on the display̢۪s representation of change within an industry.

“Everything we do in this building is to show innovation,â€Â Norum said. “One of the most exciting things about working in the CIT is walking through the door with a new idea.â€Â

The pieces on display illustrated this commitment to new ideas and innovation. According to Bowlin, who has contributed about 80 pieces, the wide scope of different irrigation parts can easily be seen by their functions and compositions.

Several notable pieces include a sprinkler valve made of wood, an aluminum cone sprinkler called “The Royal Mystifier,â€Â numerous porcelain sprinklers and a rubber sprinkler made by Goodyear Tires. The pieces themselves sparked much conversation about the history of the industry and how it has grown.

Bowlin pulled out a brass-looking sprinkler and explained that it is hard to find because many like it were melted to make shell casings during the first and second world wars.

“What’s rare is the items that survive,â€Â Bowlin said.

According to John Pape, host of “The Art of Gardeningâ€Â on KVPT Channel 18, the variety of parts is huge. “You can have a display case full of nozzles alone with all the shapes and sizes,â€Â Pape said.

Some of the items on display were featured in a segment from the PBS program, “California’s Gold,â€Â which is produced and hosted by Huell Howser.

Other items were simply in there for novelty purposes and to get the attention of younger visitors, such as a Darth Vader sprinkler with the Death Star beneath him spraying water.

“We try to put stuff in here to get everyone interested,â€Â Norum said. “We hope to be able to attract kids into these careers.â€Â

Many other items are still in storage due to their massive sizes and are unable to be shown in the current display cases̢۪ limited space. But the project̢۪s organizers and supporters plan to expand it into other areas of the WET Lab to showcase some of the bigger pieces.

Other plans for the project include installing a flat-screen television between the two existing cabinets. This will be connected directly to the museum̢۪s site for quick access to information and historical side notes regarding specific pieces.

The collection will also be expanded to take a look back at Fresno̢۪s role in the irrigation industry, beginning with a showcase for the late Winston Strong, who contributed to Fresno State̢۪s research and served as a professor of plant science from 1956 until 1984.

Other notable names linked with Fresno irrigation are Buckner, Western Ag, Netifim and Jain Irrigation, some of which have pieces on display and are still in business. According to Pape, many companies have invested money into Fresno because of its role in nationwide agriculture.

The display cases are open for viewing to anyone that stops by the WET Lab on the southwest corner of Barstow and Chestnut. The WET Lab is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.