Water Conference 2015

The Tri-State Water Resource Coalition and Missouri State University hosted their fifth annual regional planning conference on October 22 & 23, 2015 called “Today’s Decisions, Tomorrow’s Water Supply”

Thursday, October 22, 2015 9:00 – 9:10      Welcome and Housekeeping

  • Gail Melgren – Executive Director, Tri-State Water Resource Coalition

9:10 – 9:30      Welcome

  • Greg Burris – City Manager, City of Springfield

9:30 – 10:20    Water Supply from Global to Local

  • Gail Melgren – Executive Director, Tri-State Water Resource Coalition

10:20 – 10:40  Break 10:40-Noon     State’s Approaches to Water Resource Management – Ryan Mueller, Executive Director, Interstate Council on Water Supply, moderator

  • Tracy Streeter – Director, Kansas Water Office
  • Edward Swaim – Chief, Water Resources Management Division, Arkansas Natural Resources Commission
  • Andrea Collier – Director, Water Resources Center; Deputy Director, Missouri Geological Survey, Missouri Department of Natural Resources
  • Julie Cunningham – Chief, Planning and Management Division, Oklahoma Water Resources Board
  • Dean Edson – Executive Director, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts
  • Jody Henneke – Former Deputy Commissioner, Texas Land Commission

Noon                Lunch 12:30               Water Warrior Awards –

  • Ozarks Water Watch

1:00-1:50         Regional Water Coalitions in Missouri Moderator: Andrea Collier – Director, Water Resources Center; Deputy Director, Missouri Geological Survey, Missouri Department of Natural Resources

  • Clarence Cannon Wholesale Water Commission – Elizabeth Grove, Circuit Rider, Missouri Rural Water Association; Former General Manager of Clarence Cannon
  • Great Northwest Water Commission – Derek Brown, President; City Administrator, Albany MO
  • North Central Missouri Regional Water Commission– Brad Scott, General Manager
  • Tri-State Water Resource Coalition –  Gail Melgren, Executive Director, Tri-State Water Resource Coalition

1:50 – 2:10      Break 2:10 – 2:35      Small System Challenges: rates and finances

  • Elizabeth Grove – Circuit Rider, Missouri Rural Water 

2:35 – 3:20     Climate and Water

  • Pat Guinan – State of Missouri Climatologist; Assistant Professor, Climatology, University of Missouri

3:20 – 3:30      Break  3:30 – 4:00     Innovations in Water Resource Management: City of                                                    Springfield’s Integrated Plan

  • Erin Kemper – Assistant Director, Department of Environmental Services, City of Springfield

 4:00 – 5:00     Crystal Ball Panel of Municipalities and Water Providers Tim Smith, Deputy City Manager, Springfield, moderator

  • Matt Barnhart – Southwest Division Manager, Missouri American Water Company, Joplin
  • Dean Thompson – Director, Water Treatment and Supply, City Utilities of Springfield
  • Steve Walensky – Public Works Director, Cassville
  • Skip Schaller – General Manager, Utilities, Monett

Friday, October 23, 2015  8:00 – 8:30      Welcome and Current Water Initiatives from Missouri State University

  • Anson Elliott – Director, Darr School of Agriculture, Missouri State University

8:30 – 9:00     The Nexus Between Water and Energy & CU’s Coal Ash Project

  • Roddy Rogers – Manager Water Resources Projects, City Utilities of Springfield; Chair, Tri-State Water Coalition Technical Committee

9:00 – 9:15      Break 9:15- 10:05      Safeguarding Water Supply – Nationally and Through Global                                   Strategic Initiatives

  • Colonel Courtney Paul – District Engineer and Commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District

10:0510:35 Ozark Aquifer Study Update

  • Brian Clark – Hydrologist, USGS

10:35 – 10:55 Break 10:55 – 11:45  National Trends and Emerging Issues in Water Resource                                          Management

  • Ryan Mueller – Executive Director, Interstate Council on Water Policy

11:45 – Noon   Conference Evaluation and Continuing Credits

  • Gail Melgren – Executive Director, Tri-State Water Resource Coalition