Papers of Marvin E. Jensen

A significant contributor to the development of improved methods in estimating irrigation water requirements, Marvin E. Jensen had a diverse career in civil engineering. He worked as a consultant and a university employee and served the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Not only was he instrumental in analyzing water flow and apportionment for agriculture projects, but Jensen developed real-time analysis of water requirements for irrigation, which continues to be used in irrigation water scheduling throughout the United States.

Born in Minnesota in 1926, Jensen attended North Dakota State University where he specialized in soil and water and received his bachelor's degree in 1951. He received his master's degree from the same institution in Agriculture Engineering in 1952. He received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University in 1965.

Focusing on water management in western states, he served the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from 1955 to 1987. During his time with the USDA, Jensen worked as Agricultural Engineer at Bushland, Texas, and the head of the Irrigation, Drainage and Water Storage Facilities Section in Fort Collins, Colorado. He also served as Investigations Leader in Water Management for the Soil and Water Conservation Research Division in Fort Collins and Kimberly, Idaho. From 1968 to 1978, Jensen was Director of the Snake River Conservation Research Center in Kimberly, Idaho. From 1979 to 1987, Jensen planned, implemented, and reviewed water management research throughout the United States as the National Program Leader for Water Management Research with the USDA. Following his work with the USDA, Jensen served as Director of the Colorado Institute for Irrigation Management at Colorado State University. Additionally, from 1989 to 2004, Jensen served as a consultant to the Wyoming Attorney General.

Jensen's career included international work in Sri Lanka, Egypt, Romania, China, Pakistan and Bulgaria. He served as a long-term member of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Irrigation and Drainage Committee and as World President of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage from 1984 to 1987. For the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Jensen was the Soil and Water Director from 1980 to 1982 and the Technical Vice President from 1983 to 1986. He was also a member of the American Society of Agronomy starting in 1965.

Throughout his career, Jensen received numerous awards for his service and contributions to science, agriculture, and water resources. He was inducted into the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)-USDA Science Hall of Fame in 2000, elected honorary member (now called distinguished member) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 1989, and presented with the ASCE's Royce J. Tipton Award in 1982 and the USDA Distinguished Service Award and the Irrigation Association Man of the Year Award in 1983. In 2007, Jensen was awarded the Environment and Water Resources Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Additionally, Jensen served as editor for Design and Operation of Farm Irrigation Systems (1980) and co-editor for the 2nd edition (2007). He also served as co-editor of ASCE Manual 70 Evapotranspiration and Irrigation Water Requirements (1990). Jensen married Doris A. Lundberg in 1947, and they had three children. Jensen passed away in March 2022.