Registration for the 2018 National Institutes for Water Resources Regional Symposium “Water Resources of the U.S. Great Plains Region: Status and Future” is now open, with early bird rates valid through Sept. 17.

Organized by the Nebraska Water Center, the nine-state regional event will be held Oct. 24-26, at Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center. The symposium will bring together water leaders, scientists, managers, students and stakeholders within the Missouri and Arkansas river basins. Federal representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Geological Survey will participate and provide overviews of basin-wide challenges and research and funding opportunities.

The symposium will also bring together Water Resources Research Institute directors from the nine state region — Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri. Key topics to be covered include nutrient loading and harmful algal blooms, agricultural water use, surface and groundwater contamination and depletion, industrial and municipal water use, impacts of climate change on water resources, coordinated aquifer management and maintaining ecosystem services for fish and wildlife within the basins, among others.

Registration fees through Sept 17 are: $250 for regular registration; $150 for general student; and free for students presenting a poster and with valid identification.

The symposium features more than 30 speakers. In addition to presentations, there will be a juried poster session showcasing student research in water and agricultural sciences. Graduates and undergraduates are encouraged to share a poster, but only graduates are eligible for the competition. Furthermore, the symposium will include special talks from the Platte Basin Timelapse project, tours of the Nebraska Innovation Campus Greenhouse and Food Innovation Center and two dinners and two lunches.