46th Annual Meeting and Conference
You are invited to attend the annual meeting of the Wisconsin Section of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA). The meeting will be held at Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, on March 16 & 17, 2023. Our theme this year is "Reconnecting with Wisconsin’s Waters and Water Scientists." We are planning plenary, oral, and poster sessions, plus lightning talks (see below), addressing both surface water and groundwater issues in Wisconsin. For updates, please check back on this page or subscribe to our email list.
Registration is now open!
We are pleased to announce that registration for the upcoming 2023 Annual Meeting at Chula Vista in the Wisconsin Dells on March 16-17, 2023, is now open. Early-bird pricing of $160 for professionals and $80 for students will be available through February 1, 2023.
Standard rooms can be reserved until February 13, 2023 at the conference rate of $90. Reference number for rooms: I75077
Please email tax exempt forms in advance of the meeting to the following email: billing@chulavistaresort.com
Click the button below to register:
Standard rooms can be reserved until February 13, 2023 at the conference rate of $90. Reference number for rooms: I75077
Please email tax exempt forms in advance of the meeting to the following email: billing@chulavistaresort.com
Click the button below to register:
Key Documents
Program Highlights
After several years of virtual meetings we are excited to be back in person. To celebrate this we have picked a theme “Reconnecting with Wisconsin's Water and Water Scientists.” We have another excellent year of talks from industry professionals sharing case studies, state and federal agencies sharing research and regional groundwater and surface water trends and regulations, and educators and students sharing cutting-edge research on groundwater and surface water interactions, water quality, impacts from agriculture and urban land uses, and much more. There are over 65 excellent talks to deepen your knowledge and broaden your perspectives.
With the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we are pleased to announce that former Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Todd Ambs, will be giving our lunchtime plenary talk. Todd will look back on his career at the Wisconsin DNR and at non-profits such as Healing Our Waters, and provide perspective on the Clean Water Act, the Year of Clean Drinking Water, the Great Lakes Compact, and other water quality and quantity management efforts in the state over the years, and provide insight on where he sees our community of scientists, engineers, regulators, and educators going in the future. It will surely be an excellent plenary.
WICCI Working Group Meeting
All attendees are invited to participate in a Water Resources working group meeting for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) on Friday, March 17, from 12:15 to 3:00 p.m. We will briefly discuss the working group’s future activities and preparations for an updated WICCI report in 2026, and facilitate discussions on two areas:
1) climate impacts to groundwater and their management implications,
2) watershed perspective on climate impacts and adaptation with a focus on streams and rivers, and their intersection with agriculture.
We hope this discussion time will build relationships within the AWRA community and will help guide the WICCI Water Resources Working Group’s future projects. Interested participants can sign up during meeting registration for an additional $15 to cover lunch.
Student Career Workshop
Students are invited to participate in a career workshop on Friday from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m. The workshop will include a discussion of job opportunities by a panel representing a range of career choices for water resources professionals. The workshop is free and includes lunch. Students can sign up during registration. Spots are limited; so sign up early!
Information for Speakers
If you submitted an abstract, you should have already received an email confirming that your talk was accepted. Please review the additional instructions to speakers that were sent in the email.
COVID-19 Policy
We are excited to be back in-person but we also recognize that COVID-19 is still with us and it affects each of us differently. We continue to monitor recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the health risk of an in-person event. At this time we will not require proof of vaccination, proof of negative COVID-19 test, or use of masks. We will continue to monitor recommendations and cases throughout the state, and we plan to have precautions in place such as sanitizing stations in each room, plated meals, and optional colored indicators on each name-tag to communicate your personal comfort in socialization (Green = I'm ok with handshakes, hugs, and close conversations; Yellow = Please limit close interactions, elbow bumps are OK but no handshakes; Red = please respect my distance, no handshakes or elbow bumps.) Above all, we expect all our members to be respectful of each other and our own precautionary decisions and continue to recognize and accept that COVID-19 affects us all differently.
By registering, you hereby acknowledge and agree to the following:
(i) you will follow any and all applicable COVID-19 restrictions, rules, and safety requirements at the event that are either required by applicable law, rule or ordinance, AWRA-WI, or the Chula Vista event location;
(ii) you are aware that there are inherent risks and hazards connected with attending the in-person event that cannot be eliminated, and that you assume those risks, including, but not limited to, the potential of being infected with COVID-19; and
(iii) you release the WI-AWRA and its board from any and all liability arising out of or relating to any injury or illnesses (including COVID-19) sustained by you while participating in or attending the event, including while in, on, or upon the premises where the event is being conducted, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
After several years of virtual meetings we are excited to be back in person. To celebrate this we have picked a theme “Reconnecting with Wisconsin's Water and Water Scientists.” We have another excellent year of talks from industry professionals sharing case studies, state and federal agencies sharing research and regional groundwater and surface water trends and regulations, and educators and students sharing cutting-edge research on groundwater and surface water interactions, water quality, impacts from agriculture and urban land uses, and much more. There are over 65 excellent talks to deepen your knowledge and broaden your perspectives.
With the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, we are pleased to announce that former Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Todd Ambs, will be giving our lunchtime plenary talk. Todd will look back on his career at the Wisconsin DNR and at non-profits such as Healing Our Waters, and provide perspective on the Clean Water Act, the Year of Clean Drinking Water, the Great Lakes Compact, and other water quality and quantity management efforts in the state over the years, and provide insight on where he sees our community of scientists, engineers, regulators, and educators going in the future. It will surely be an excellent plenary.
WICCI Working Group Meeting
All attendees are invited to participate in a Water Resources working group meeting for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) on Friday, March 17, from 12:15 to 3:00 p.m. We will briefly discuss the working group’s future activities and preparations for an updated WICCI report in 2026, and facilitate discussions on two areas:
1) climate impacts to groundwater and their management implications,
2) watershed perspective on climate impacts and adaptation with a focus on streams and rivers, and their intersection with agriculture.
We hope this discussion time will build relationships within the AWRA community and will help guide the WICCI Water Resources Working Group’s future projects. Interested participants can sign up during meeting registration for an additional $15 to cover lunch.
Student Career Workshop
Students are invited to participate in a career workshop on Friday from 12:15 to 2:00 p.m. The workshop will include a discussion of job opportunities by a panel representing a range of career choices for water resources professionals. The workshop is free and includes lunch. Students can sign up during registration. Spots are limited; so sign up early!
Information for Speakers
If you submitted an abstract, you should have already received an email confirming that your talk was accepted. Please review the additional instructions to speakers that were sent in the email.
COVID-19 Policy
We are excited to be back in-person but we also recognize that COVID-19 is still with us and it affects each of us differently. We continue to monitor recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce the health risk of an in-person event. At this time we will not require proof of vaccination, proof of negative COVID-19 test, or use of masks. We will continue to monitor recommendations and cases throughout the state, and we plan to have precautions in place such as sanitizing stations in each room, plated meals, and optional colored indicators on each name-tag to communicate your personal comfort in socialization (Green = I'm ok with handshakes, hugs, and close conversations; Yellow = Please limit close interactions, elbow bumps are OK but no handshakes; Red = please respect my distance, no handshakes or elbow bumps.) Above all, we expect all our members to be respectful of each other and our own precautionary decisions and continue to recognize and accept that COVID-19 affects us all differently.
By registering, you hereby acknowledge and agree to the following:
(i) you will follow any and all applicable COVID-19 restrictions, rules, and safety requirements at the event that are either required by applicable law, rule or ordinance, AWRA-WI, or the Chula Vista event location;
(ii) you are aware that there are inherent risks and hazards connected with attending the in-person event that cannot be eliminated, and that you assume those risks, including, but not limited to, the potential of being infected with COVID-19; and
(iii) you release the WI-AWRA and its board from any and all liability arising out of or relating to any injury or illnesses (including COVID-19) sustained by you while participating in or attending the event, including while in, on, or upon the premises where the event is being conducted, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
Call for Papers - Closed
We are no longer accepting abstracts for the conference. The deadline for abstracts was Nov. 14, 2022.
We are soliciting posters and presentations related to the reconnection/collaboration theme as well as for general sessions on research related to hydrogeology, watershed management, hydrology, limnology, aquatic toxicology, water chemistry, aquatic ecology, and water use.
Please specify your preference for oral or poster presentation or lightning talk when you submit your abstract. Oral presentations lengths will be based on the number of abstracts received by we are targeting 20-minute time slots, including 5 minutes for questions.
Contact Anna Fehling or Grace Graham if you have questions.
We are soliciting posters and presentations related to the reconnection/collaboration theme as well as for general sessions on research related to hydrogeology, watershed management, hydrology, limnology, aquatic toxicology, water chemistry, aquatic ecology, and water use.
Please specify your preference for oral or poster presentation or lightning talk when you submit your abstract. Oral presentations lengths will be based on the number of abstracts received by we are targeting 20-minute time slots, including 5 minutes for questions.
Contact Anna Fehling or Grace Graham if you have questions.
Chaired Sessions
This year, our members are invited to organize chaired sessions. If you have a session in mind or would like more details, contact the Technical Co-Chairs for more information (see sidebar). Examples of past sessions:
- Climate Change and Water Resources Management
- Web-based Dashboards and Decision-support Systems for Water Resources
- Socio-Political Dimensions of Water Resources
- Environmental Justice—A Water Resources Perspective
Lightning Talks
We encourage attendees to submit lightning talks. Lightning talks provide a brief, focused and informal medium for sharing ideas, and are limited to 5 slides and a strict 5-minute length. Lightning talk abstracts are limited to 5 sentences. Lightning talks may be submitted in addition to regular presentations, but we ask that the topic be different. If you have questions, contact Anna Fehling or Grace Graham.
Student Awards
The AWRA Annual Meeting is designed to create a student-friendly atmosphere. Students are strongly encouraged to present and discuss Wisconsin-related research in all aspects of water science and policy. To encourage excellence in student oral and poster presentations, up to four awards of $200 will be offered. If you are a graduate or undergraduate student and would like to be considered for an award, please indicate your interest on the abstract submission form. Students submitting abstracts for poster presentations to be considered for an award will be asked to provide a PDF of their posters one week in advance of the conference for preliminary judging.
Distinguished Service Awards
Here’s your chance to recognize the outstanding contributions of AWRA members! This honor is presented at the annual meeting to an individual or group affiliated with the section who has made exceptional contributions in protecting and enhancing Wisconsin’s water resources. Include in your nomination a narrative describing the nominee’s contributions and contact information for both yourself and the nominee. Nominations should be sent to Mitch Olds at wisconsinawra@gmail.com by Nov. 30, 2022. For more information, contact Mitch Olds For more information, see Distinguished Service Awards
Officer Elections
Section elections for President Elect, Vice President, Treasurer and Director at Large will be held at the business meeting (during lunch at the conference). If you are interested in serving in one of these positions, contact Aaron Pruitt by Nov. 30, 2022.
Donations
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to WI-AWRA. Donations may be made by individuals or organizations and are directly used to fund either student awards, the student career luncheon, or student registration costs.