Table of Contents

• Summary

• President's Notes

• State Conference Speaker Preview

• June Virtual Poster Series Recap

• Student Fellowship Awards & Research Articles
• Unveiling Alluvial Aquifer Potential - Brook Bauer
• Environmental Equity in the Columbia River Basin - Kinsey Freeman
• Managed Aquifer Recharge on Manastash Creek - Elif Myers
• Tracking Hydropower Dam Operations Using Satellites - Sarath Suresh

• AWRA-WA Basin Sponsors

June to August 2024 Edition

The AWRA-WA Section presents its Annual State Conference 2024:

Drinkable, Fishable, Swimmable: Protecting Washington’s Waters 

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (reception to follow)

Mountaineers Seattle Program Center

7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA

This year’s conference will focus on clean water in Washington, how water quality affects the designated and beneficial uses of water, and what we are doing to address those concerns. Speakers will discuss the intersection between water quality and water quantity, and particularly how water quality concerns impact the security of the state’s drinking water supply. Speakers will also discuss the most pressing water quality threats to aquatic species and how degraded water quality impacts recreational uses of water.

The conference will feature more than 15 speakers from private practice, government, academia, industry, and other organizations. AWRA-WA is thrilled to announce Professor Catherine O’Neill as the keynote speaker. Professor O’Neill is a visiting research professor of law at the Seattle University School of Law and brings expertise in both the legal and technical aspects of protecting the state’s water quality and its beneficial uses. Other speakers include:

• Patrick Craney - City of Vancouver

How a water utility is addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 

• Chris Kelly - Island County

The impact of saltwater intrusion on drinking water

• Alan Kolok - Professor of Ecotoxicology; Director Emeritus, Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, University of Idaho 
  

Ecotoxicology  

• Derek Stuart - Northwest Hydraulic Consultants 
  

Bateman Island Causeway clean-up efforts 

• Jenna Friebel - Executive Director, Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium 
  

Temperature control in the Skagit Estuary  

• Cecelia Gobin - Conservation Policy Analyst, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission & Fran Wilshusen, Director of Environmental Protection Services, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
  

Bioaccumulation of containments in fish and Tribal perspectives on water quality concerns

• Tom O'keefe - Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director, American Whitewater  
  

Water quality considerations for recreationalists 

• Gretchen Greene - Greene Economics 
  

Case study on the economic impact of algal blooms 

• Laura Shira - Environmental Engineer, Yakama Nation Fisheries 
  

Cleanup and restoration of hazardous waste sites with the Columbia River Basin 

• Vince McGowan - Water Quality Program Manager, Department of Ecology 
  

Water quality solutions 

• Lisa Dennis-Perez - Director of Environmental Planning and Communications, LOTT Clean Water Alliance 
  

Solutions to address water quality issues at Budd Inlet 

• A panel of Washington agency staff members discussing agency priorities for water quality 
  

The conference program will be followed by a networking reception. To register, please visit the state conference event registration page.

AWRA-WA is excited to see you this fall!