About The Conference
The Conference, “Groundwater Under the Pacific Northwest,” was held November 2-3, 2005, at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington. This conference was hosted by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES); the State of Washington Water Research Center; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the U.S. Geological Survey; and the Washington State Department of Ecology. Support for the conference was provided by a major grant funded by the USDA CSREES; the grant supports a regional research and extension conference on water quality issues every two years. The major focus for the 2005 conference was the integration of research, policy, and education regarding groundwater issues in the Pacific Northwest.
With over 200 present, attendees and participants represented a variety of working backgrounds including extension, education, research, government (state, county, city, district), tribal management, conservation ecology and outreach. Attendees included hydrologists and hydrogeologists working in both the public and private sectors, students, and others interested in groundwater issues in this region.
Pre-conference activities on November 1 included a Field Trip of Clark County and a Workshop on “Groundwater Essentials.” Highlights of the conference included presentations by keynote speakers each morning to set the tone for the day.
On
November 2, 2005, Dr.
Thomas Winter (U.S. Geological Survey) discussed the application of
the aquatic systems continuum to the ecosystems of the Northwest. Dr.
Winter explained how this information can be used to understand and help
manage current ecosystem variability and how future challenges within
these ecosystems may be predicted and proactively addressed.
The
keynote speaker on November 3 was Dr.
Robert Glennon (Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy,
Rogers College of Law, University of Arizona). Dr. Glennon provided several
geographic examples to delineate the nationwide crisis that has resulted
from excessive groundwater pumping. Using geoscientific, legal, and industrial
perspectives, Glennon discussed solutions that need to be applied in order
to manage the supply and demand for water resources in the United States.
The general format for each day of the conference consisted of a keynote speaker, followed by a panel addressing challenges to groundwater issues. Panels were followed by concurrent sessions that continued through the day. Concurrent sessions were themed according to a groundwater overview/management topic or to a geographic region. (Link to a specific session below, or click here for the full Conference Proceedings.)
Session 1 – Groundwater-Surface
Water Interaction
Session 2 – Groundwater
Quality
Session 3 – Hydrogeology:
General
Session 4 – Groundwater
Policy
Session 5 – Hydrogeology:
Cascade Mountains
Poster Session
Session 6 – Groundwater
Policy
Session 7 – Walla Walla
Groundwater
Session 8 – South Willamette
Valley Groundwater
Session 9 – Umatilla Groundwater
Session 10 – La Pine Groundwater
A
Poster Session was held the evening of November 2; several poster presentations
addressed the integration of research, policy, and education in relation
to a groundwater-themed issue. Awards were given for First Place, Second
Place, and Honorable Mention for the highest-ranking posters.
According to the evaluation forms, one of the most valuable aspects of the conference was the opportunity to network with other attendees. Attendees also felt that the regional theme of this conference was highly important. Other positive feedback about the conference included the keynote speakers, the location and food, the affordable price, and the information presented in each of the sessions. One attendee noted: “This conference was really well organized – you gave us great opportunities to interact with each other and then created an atmosphere where dialogue was started in the sessions and continued afterwards. I enjoyed both plenary speakers… nice mix of policy and technical.”
Click here to link to the Conference Proceedings.
Note: The next water quality conference will be held in 2007. The specific
topic for the conference is to be determined; details will be posted on
the SWWRC home page as they become available.