50th Annual Meeting and Conference
You are invited to attend the 2026 annual meeting of the Wisconsin Section of the American Water Resources Association (WI AWRA). The 2026 WI AWRA meeting is a major milestone: the 50th anniversary of our organization! The meeting will be held at the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel in Brookfield, April 9-10, 2026. We are planning plenary and oral and poster sessions addressing both surface water and groundwater issues in Wisconsin. A preliminary program and registration materials will be available in February 2026. Please check this page for more details and subscribe to our email list for the most up-to-date information!
Call for Papers
We are soliciting posters and presentations for sessions on hydrogeology, watershed management, hydrology, limnology, aquatic toxicology, water chemistry, aquatic ecology, and water use, with a particular emphasis on work in or relevant to Wisconsin water resources. Please specify your preference for oral presentation, poster presentation, and/or lightning talk when you submit your abstract. Oral presentation lengths will be based on the number of abstracts received, but we are targeting 20-25-minute time slots, including 5 minutes for questions. Lightning talks are 5 minutes with no questions. For more information about presentation options, contact program chairs Madeline Gotkowitz ([email protected]) and Nic Buer ([email protected]).
Abstract Submission
The deadline for abstract submission is January 5, 2026. Abstracts are limited to 1,500 characters including spaces and can be submitted at the link below.
Chaired Sessions
Chaired sessions are organized on special topics that are timely or are related to the conference location. For the 2026 conference, we are planning the following chaired sessions:
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) water resources activities
- USGS MMSD Corridor study
- August 2025 Milwaukee flood
Student Awards
The WI 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 in the abstract submission form. All student presenters are encouraged to participate, as each presenter is provided with constructive comments from our team of oral and poster presentation judges.
Distinguished Service Award Nominations
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. Also provide contact information for both you and the nominee. Nominations may be sent to Matt Diebel at [email protected] by January 5, 2026.
Officer Elections
Elections for the following board officers will be held at the business meeting during lunch at the conference: vice president, secretary, and two general board officers for technical program and student engagement. The vice president position requires a prior term on the board; all other positions have no pre-requisites and are open to anyone who is excited and willing to help with the WI AWRA Chapter. If you are interested in serving in one of these positions, contact Matt Diebel at mwdiebel@usgs.gov.
Help us get the word out!
Our organization relies on all of you to help grow the Wisconsin Chapter of AWRA. Please share this Call for Papers widely with your professional networks. We love welcoming new and familiar faces to our conference each year.
Key Documents and Links
The Wisconsin AWRA annual meeting is proudly sponsored by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
