2017 Groundwater Foundation National Conference
October 24-26, 2017 | Boise, Idaho
Leading the Way – People, Policies and Practices to Protect and Conserve Groundwater
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The Idaho state capitol in downtown Boise
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The Grove Plaza in downtown Boise
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View of the surrounding foothills from The Grove Hotel's terrace
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Boise City Hall. Boise is known as the "City of Trees."
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One of the parks on the beautiful Boise Greenbelt
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View of downtown Boise from The Grove Hotel
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Jane Griffin
Groundwater Foundation President Jane Griffin welcomes participants to the conference.
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Elaine Clegg
City of Boise Council President Elaine Clegg welcomes the group to Boise.
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Pat Mulroy
Pat Mulroy, former director of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Non-resident Senior Fellow for Climate Adaptation and Environmental Policy for the Brookings Institution and Practitioner in Residence for the Saltman Center for Conflict Resolution at the UNLV William S. Boyd School of Law, gave a keynote address about risks and opportunities for groundwater in a climate-changed world.
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Robert Swanson
Robert Swanson of the U.S. Geological Survey Nebraska Water Science Center in Lincoln, Nebraska spoke about the risks of nitrates and other agricultural contaminants to the groundwater of the nation.
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Ed Hagan
Ed Hagan co-presented with Amy Williams, both from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in Boise, about state level efforts to provide statewide and community strategies to protect groundwater and ensure its sustainability.
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Andy Belanger
Andy Belanger of the Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Groundwater Guardian team tells his community's groundwater story during the Recognition Roundtable Luncheon.
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Kirk Welch
Kirk Welch of the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in Dumas, Texas Groundwater Guardian team tells his community's groundwater story during the Recognition Roundtable Luncheon.
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Recognition Roundtable
Groundwater Guardians from across the country took part in the Recognition Roundtable Luncheon at the conference. Team representatives told their community's groundwater story as traveling panelists, visiting several luncheon tables.
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Gary Hawkins
Gary Hawkins from the University of Georgia Crop and Science Department shared his experiences in developing partnerships as part of a groundwater monitoring effort.
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Michelle Dry
Michelle Dry from the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research at the University of Memphis talks about the Water on Wheels traveling mini water museum.
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Doug Hallum
Doug Hallum, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Conservation and Survey Division, shared several case studies on high accuracy topography data to improve water management.
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Chaunsey Chau-Duong
Chaunsey Chau-Duong of the Southern Nevada Water Authority talks about the conservation initiatives implemented by the Authority.
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Lisa Corbitt
Lisa Corbitt of the Mecklenburg County Public Health Groundwater and Wastewater Services in North Carolina discusses managing data to accurately identify contamination sites and the proximity to proposed well locations in the permitting process.
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Catherine Chertudi
Catherine Chertudi of the Boise City Groundwater Guardian team served as the host for the 2017 conference. She opened day two with a discussion of community sparkplugs, and how leadership is important for groundwater protection. Under Chertudi's leadership, Boise has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community since the program began in 1994.
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Bill and Rosemarie Alley
Dr. Bill Alley, National Ground Water Association, and Rosemarie Alley discussed how groundwater is the "neglected child of the water world" as well as their book, "High and Dry: Meeting the Challenges of the World's Growing Dependence on Groundwater."
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Adam Hutchinson
Orange County Water District's Adam Hutchinson discussed the district's efforts to replenish groundwater and ensure sustainability by transforming wastewater into drinking water in California.
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Chris Barnett
Chris Barnett co-presented with John Mundell, Mundell & Associates; Pam Thevenow, Marion County Health Department; and Haley Waldkoetter, Mundell & Associates, about their collaboration in wellfield management and groundwater protection over the past 20 years in the Indianapolis-Marion County area in Indiana.
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Kate Gibson
Kate Gibson from the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute in Lincoln, Nebraska, closed the conference by discussing successful groundwater management in the western U.S.
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Restoring a Jewel Tour
Contaminated soils were found during the construction of a new park site along the Boise River in 2015. The history of the site for gravel extraction and industrial uses raised concerns about the types of contamination possible and the extent to which the contamination had migrated. The tour explored the issues and lessons learned from the identification of the contamination through the completion of the park that was added to along the Boise River Greenbelt.
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Boise Watershed Center
The conference kicked off with a reception at the Boise Watershed Center. The center is located at the West Boise Water Renewal Facility and has an interactive exhibit hall and a River Campus with public art, landscaping, and water features.
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Boise Watershed Center
The conference kicked off with a reception at the Boise Watershed Center. The center is located at the West Boise Water Renewal Facility and has an interactive exhibit hall and a River Campus with public art, landscaping, and water features.
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Opening Reception
Attendees at the opening reception enjoyed local foods and had the chance to interact with the exhibit hall's displays about Boise's watershed and wastewater treatment processes.
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Making Connections
Conference attendees had numerous opportunities to network and make connections.
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Making Connections
Conference attendees had numerous opportunities to network and make connections.
Support for the 2017 National Conference Provided by:
Supporting Sponsors
Boise City Public Works
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
Republic Services
Senninger Irrigation
Southern Nevada Water Authority
Other Support
Idaho Water Education Foundation
Marshfield Utilities
National Ground Water Association
Valmont Foundation