MOSES LAKE - Registration is now open for a class in operating mechanized irrigation systems at Big Bend Community College.

The class meets from 8:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday and Thursday, Doug Sly, the college's public information officer, said. Larry Breshere is the instructor.

The class includes training on an actual center-pivot irrigation system, owned by the college and donated by the Reinke corporation, Sly said. A smaller-scale model of a center pivot system, donated by manufacturers, is used in classroom demonstrations.

The five-credit class is offered only during spring quarter, Sly said. That's due to the weather and because the college, just like any farmer, has to wait until the irrigation water is turned on the spring, he said.

Students spend about half the class time at the irrigation facility, Sly said.

Instruction includes the development of mechanized irrigation systems, as well as operation and maintenance of propulsion and control systems, he said. "There is a focus on irrigation hydraulic principles."

The curriculum also includes GPS applications for mechanized irrigation, he said. Students in the college's Industrial Systems Technology program can earn certification in mechanized irrigation technology, Clyde Rasmussen said, dean of the Professional-Technical Education department.

"Big Bend is located at the center of one of the largest and most productive irrigation projects in the U.S.," Rasmussen said, and the certification can make students more employable after they graduate.

Spring quarter classes begin March 31. People who want more information about the class can contact Rasmussen, 509-793-2053.