Minnegram

The 2026 Minnesota Water Resources Conference, hosted by the Minnesota Water Resources Center (WRC), brought together 920 people from across the United States at the St. Paul RiverCentre on October 13-14^th to network and hear from speakers about water topics ranging from chloride pollution, the water workforce, restoration of the Mississippi River, to sulfate pollution, and more.

This year's poster contest winner is Natalie Narváez for her poster, "An Overlooked Pathway: Contaminants in Firefighting Wastewater Runoff." Narváez is a master's student in the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where she is advised by Dr. Grace Wilson. 

Every year, members of the Minnesota Water Resources Conference awards subcommittee carefully select recipients of two awards named after significant figures in the Minnesota water community, Deborah L. Swackhamer and Dave Ford. Each recipient received their award on the first day of the 2026 Water Resources Conference.

In just a few weeks, the Water Resources Center will be hosting the 2026 Minnesota Water Resources Conference at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

This conference brings together water resource researchers, practitioners, and professionals from across the state for an opportunity to build connections across the water resource world. 

Minnesota's AIS Detectors are deeply committed stewards eager to protect local ecosystems. By expanding training locations and volunteer opportunities, building stronger links to local research and management initiatives, and supporting lake association engagement, the AIS Detector program can keep its passionate volunteer base energized for years to come.