AWRC Water Conference Will Feature Speakers from Arkansas and Neighboring States
This year’s speakers are lined up and the program is finalized for the Arkansas Water Resources Center 2017 annual water conference. We’ve got another great regional agenda this year, with speakers from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The speaker line up also represents a variety of water resource stakeholders, including academia, drinking water utilities, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.
The Program:
The theme for this year’s conference is “Protecting Water Supplies for People and the Environment”. We all agree that water quality and availability problems are quite complex. Striking a balance between solutions that are best for people and good for the environment can be challenging.
However, researchers around the region are conducting sound science to help guide policy decisions. On the first day of the conference, we’ll hear about how the public perceives water resource issues in Arkansas, and how drinking water suppliers are getting greater stakeholder support for source water protection programs.
We’ll also hear from Dr. Ryan King, of Baylor University (pictured above), about how his science led to an inter-state agreement between Arkansas and Oklahoma about the phosphorous standard in the Illinois River Watershed.
To end the first day and bring us back for the second day of the conference, researchers from the US Geological Survey and from universities throughout the region will talk about research in the delta that can help farmers and water managers improve water quality and availability for agricultural use.
Then we’ll come back full circle to learn about some current research and methods to better manage urban water supplies.
Finally, we’ve teamed up with the Arkansas chapter of the American Water Resources Association to hold their annual symposium after lunch on the second day of the conference. The theme will be “Dam Safety and Water Supply Issues in Arkansas”. Anyone can attend that part of the program. A free annual membership to AR-AWRA will be given to those who attend.
View the preliminary program here.
Registration:
Register online now by going to https://commerce.uark.edu/awrc/. Registration will close on Monday, July 17, 2017.
Location:
The conference will be held at the Fayetteville Town Center. This venue is at the historic downtown square in Fayetteville, near the UA campus and surrounded by the beautiful Ozark Mountains.
The address for the Town Center is 15 West Mountain in Fayetteville, Arkansas, 72701. For more information about the Town Center, visit their website at http://www.twncenter.com/.
Accommodations:
If you’re coming from out of town, you can reserve a room at the Chancellor Hotel, just one block away from the Town Center. Use the reservation code “AWRC” to receive the $91/night government rate. To book under this reservation code, you must book your room by June 24, 2017. Go here to make your reservation, or visit the Chancellor Hotel website for accommodation and contact information: www.hotelchancellor.com.
Visit our website for more information. If you have any questions, contact Erin Scott at erins@uark.edu.
