Building a clean water future in northeast Nebraska is the theme for the Nebraska Water Center’s annual conference, Oct. 9 and 10, at the Divots Conference Center in Norfolk, Neb.
“Our center has a long tradition of working within our state on water quality issues. What’s different about this year’s conference is the specific focus on northeast Nebraska and locallybased solutions to their challenges,” said Chittaranjan Ray, director of the Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska.
The conference is based around three pillars – water quality and public health, innovative solutions to current problems and community engagement. More than 40 speakers, including producers, policymakers, non-profit professionals, university researchers, agency experts and high school students and teachers will share what they are doing to ensure a clean water future.
Day one begins with the “State of the State’s Water Quality,” featuring a slate of state, university and local water managers. A lunch keynote follows with USDA National Water Quality Initiative Coordinator Dee Carlson. That afternoon, the focus will move into the field with two sessions on innovative farming solutions. Sessions on policy and stakeholder engagement close out the day portion. The evening will include area high school students and teachers presenting their work on citizen science and water quality monitoring.
The second day kicks off with a discussion of the public health impacts of water quality. On its heels, several University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers will present innovative treatment options for water contamination. The second-to-last session will explore how best to engage stakeholders. Lastly, a closing panel comprised of members of the university’s Water Resources Advisory Panel (WRAP) will reflect on key messages and actionable next steps.
Information and registration details for both events are available here. Public registration is $195. University faculty and staff registration is $97.50 and students may attend free of charge. If you are eligible for a discount, please contact Tricia Liedle, pliedle@nebraska.edu or 402-472-3305.
More details at: https://watercenter.unl.edu/2019-nebraska-water-conference