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Spring Runoff Conference

The Water Initiative holds an annual "Spring Runoff Conference" at the end of winter in anticipation of spring’s runoff season—a time of expectation and excitement in hydrology.

The purpose of this conference is to:

  • Provide a forum for students, faculty and the regional water community to share current research in an on-campus venue.
  • Invite stakeholders involved with the management and development of water resources in the region, to an open forum on the societal and technical needs.
  • Stimulate the development of interdisciplinary research on water-related issues in Utah and the intermountain region.

Please send feedback from previous conferences, or suggestions for future conferences to Jack Schmidt or Christopher Neale.

2008 Spring Runoff Conference
Topic:Water Management and Water Science in a Water-Short West
Dates:Monday March 31st and Tuesday April 1st, 2008
Venue:Eccles Conference Center on the Utah State University campus
  • Consulting and govermental agency professionals, environmental and citizen organizations, faculty, and students are invited to participate.
  • Conference Flyer (high resolution, better to print - 7M)
  • Conference Flyer (low resolution, better to email - 400K)
  • Schedule
  • Full Program (including schedule)
  • Registration is $45. Student registration is FREE, but required. Four easy ways to register:

    • Register Online
    • Call Registration Services at (435) 797-0423 or (800) 538-2663. They will register you with a Visa, MasterCard, Diners, Discover or AMEX Card number.
    • Fax your completed registration form with your credit card number. The 24-hour fax number is (435) 797-0636.
    • Mail your completed registration form and return it to the address on the form with full payment by enclosing a check, copy of a P.O. or credit card billing information.
  • Confirmed speakers include:

    Amy Vickers
    President, Amy Vickers and Associates
    Author of "Handbook of Water Use and Conservation"

    Jeff Dozier
    Professor and Founding Dean of the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management,
    University of California at Santa Barbara
    "The Hydrologic Cycle and the Color of Snow"

    Robert H. Webb
    Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey
    Author of "The Ribbon of Green: Change in Riparian Vegetation in the Southwestern United States" and "Damming Grand Canyon: the 1923 USGS Colorado River Expedition"

    Roger S. Pulwarty
    Director, National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), NOAA
    "Climate, change and western water resources: What are we adapting to?"

    Tage I. Flint
    General Manager/CEO, Weber Basin Water Conservancy District
    "Managing Water in a Combined Urban and Agricultural Setting"

    Thomas P. Ryan
    Hydrologist, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region
    "Present and Future Operations of the Colorado River"

    James M. Aton
    Professor of English, Southern Utah University
    Author of "River Flowing from the Sunrise: An Environmental History of the Lower San Juan"

    Paul Campbell
    President, Campbell Scientific, Inc.
    "Technology Development to Meet Western Water Challenges"

    Brian McInerney
    Senior Hydrologist, NOAA, National Weather Service, Weather Forecast Office
    "March 2008 Hydrologic Outlook"

    Richard R. McDonald
    Hydrologist, US Geological Survey
    "MD_SWMS: A Modeling Tool for Applications in River Flow, Morphodynamics and Habitat"

    Rollin Hotchkiss
    Professor, Brigham Young University
  • Maps, Travel & Parking
  • Accommodations
  • The call for papers is complete. See the list of papers recieved.

Previous Conferences

The 2007 Spring Runoff Conference, Water—Past, Present and Future was held April 5 and 6, 2007.

The 2006 Spring Runoff Conference, The Great Salt Lake Basin: Science, Ecology, Management, Policy, was held March 27 and 28, 2006.

The first "Spring Runoff Conference: Managing Water Resources, Quantity and Quality" was held March 25-26, 2004.

There is no formal publication of presentations beyond these abstracts in the program. Contact the authors if you need further information about any specific presentation.