Minnesota Water Resources Conference set for October 18-19

Wetlands, drainage and lessons learned from the Flint water crisis leads 2016 Minnesota Water Resources Conference

The Flint, Mich., water crisis, as well as the state of Minnesota’s waters will be among the lead topics headlining the 2016 Minnesota Water Resources Conference on October 18-19 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.

The two-day showcase is the largest statewide conference of its kind, expecting to draw more than 500 scientists and practitioners to engage in discussions around innovative resource engineering solutions, management techniques, and current research focused on Minnesota's water resources.

Conference speakers include:

• Chris Kolb, president of the Michigan Environmental Council and co-chair of the Flint Water Advisory Task Force
• Craig McLean, assistant administrator, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• David Mulla, professor, Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota
• John Linc Stine, commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The event will also feature panel discussions on social justice and water supply, wetland protection versus drainage rights and more than 100 breakout presentations on topics ranging from stormwater reuse to road salt management and climate change.

This year’s conference will include an appearance by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton, who has called for a Year of Water Action in Minnesota. The full conference program can be viewed online.

“Minnesota is both a headwaters and water-rich state, making our connections to our water resources deep and strong,” said Jeff Peterson, conference co-chair and Director of the Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota. “This annual event aims to gather Minnesota’s leading water experts—including researchers from various fields and practitioners across many sectors—in a single setting to share cutting-edge solutions to our state’s most pressing water challenges.”

The event is sponsored by the University of Minnesota’s Water Resources Center and College of Continuing Education and co-sponsored by the University’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering; Minnesota Sea Grant; the Natural Resources Research Institute; and the American Society of Civil Engineers Minnesota Section. The conference is co-chaired by Karen Jensen from the Metropolitan Council.