Gov. Cox, Pres. Cantwell to Headline Collaborative Water Conference Next Week

Cache Water Users and Utah State University have combined two annual water conferences into one event, the Northern Utah Water Users/Spring Runoff Conference, on March 26 and 27.

This year’s conference aims to bring a wider audience of agricultural and community water users, water researchers and water managers together for developing larger partnerships and collaborations.

Speakers will come from a variety of water-related backgrounds and include USU President Elizabeth Cantwell, Amy Haas, Tage Flint, Craig Buttars, Casey Snider, Teresa Wilhelmsen, Connely Baldwin, Jordan Clayton and Don Barnett, along with nearly 70 USU water researchers.

Gov. Spencer J. Cox will also sign water-related bills and deliver a few remarks on Tuesday.

“This year’s conference will bring together a large number of ag water users and researchers in a way we haven’t done before,” said Nathan Daugs, manager of the Cache Water District. “I’m looking forward to seeing this new collaboration.”

The conference will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 26, in the Cache County Event Center at the County Fairgrounds. From 3-5 p.m., a poster session will showcase USU graduate students’ water-related research projects conducted in the past year.

On Wednesday, March 27, the event will move to the USU Logan campus Eccles Conference Center and begin with check-ins and a light breakfast at 8 a.m. Following that, keynote speakers and a morning plenary session will feature more decision makers and managers on water issues. Afternoon breakout sessions will be from 1:30-4:30 p.m. highlighting short presentations by USU water experts and researchers.

“Spring Runoff is always a wonderful opportunity to hear the latest research from USU in hydrology, water quality, climate and other water-related topics that matter to Utah,” said Erin Rivers, Watershed Sciences assistant professor with USU Extension, who has organized the annual conference for the past few years.

This year’s organizers included Cache Water District, USU Extension, USU’s Utah Water Research Laboratory, and the USU Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air.

“By combining our efforts with Cache Water District, UWRL and USU Extension, we are better able to reach the key people interested in our shared water resources for northern Utah,” said Brian Steed, executive director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air.

Registration is free but is required, and closes on Friday, March 22. For information on the conference and to register, visit the USU Spring Runoff website, usu.edu/water/conference/.