Watershed Symposium 2024: Full Schedule

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9:00am MST

Welcome

Wednesday November 20, 2024 9:00am - 9:10am MST

Great Hall

Welcome to the 18th Annual Salt Lake County Watershed Symposium. Thank you for being here.

Wednesday November 20, 2024 9:00am - 9:10am MST
Great Hall

Group Session

9:10am MST

Keynote

Wednesday November 20, 2024 9:10am - 9:35am MST

Great Hall

Keynote

Speakers

Brenda Bowen

Professor of Geology and Geophysics and Chair of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah

Brenda B. Bowen is a Professor of Geology and Geophysics and Chair of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. She works to facilitate interdisciplinary sustainability research, practice, and academic programs that address critical issues related to understanding global change... Read More →

Wednesday November 20, 2024 9:10am - 9:35am MST
Great Hall

Group Session

9:45am MST

Update from the Great Salt Lake Commissioner's Office: Next Steps

Wednesday November 20, 2024 9:45am - 10:15am MST

Great Hall

Summary:
Learn what steps has the state of Utah taken and plans to take for the long term health of the Great Salt Lake.

Full Abstract:
Commissioner Brian Steed and Deputy Commissioner Tim Davis will provide an update on the implementation of the Great Salt Lake Strategic Plan, current conditions of the lake, and the next steps for the long term health of the lake.

Speakers

Brian Steed

Great Salt Lake Commissioner, Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner

May 2023, Governor Spencer Cox appointed Brian Steed as the first Great Salt Lake Commissioner.Currently, Steed also serves as executive director of the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air at Utah State University. As part of this role, he has served as co-chair... Read More →

Tim Davis

Deputy Great Salt Lake Commissioner, Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner

Tim Davis is the Deputy Great Salt Lake Commissioner.Davis previously served as the Director of the Utah Division of Drinking Water. Prior to coming to Utah, he oversaw the water rights, water resources, drinking water and water quality programs for the state of Montana. He led the... Read More →

Wednesday November 20, 2024 9:45am - 10:15am MST
Great Hall

Group Session

Topic Conservation/Restoration, Water Quantity/Flow, Policy & Law
Technical Level non-technical; appeal to broad audience

2:45pm MST

Poster Session, Break, Snacks

Wednesday November 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:25pm MST

Great Hall

The poster session is a forum for presenters from around the world to highlight programs and to share successful ideas with colleagues by presenting a research study, a practical problem-solving effort, an innovative program, and more. Poster presentations provide other conference participants an opportunity to quickly and easily become acquainted with a variety of topics.

Posters

Carina Thiriot

Recreational Water Intern, Utah Division of Water Quality

Carina Thiriot is a recent public health graduate working as the Utah Division of Water Quality's recreational water intern. This year, Carina has created educational materials about harmful algae in Utah waterbodies, including recent materials for Utah veterinarian offices. She is... Read More →

Farah Nusrat

Postdoctoral Fellow, Utah State University

Farah is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC), and located at the Utah State University. She is a member of the "Future of Aquatic Flows" cohort of the Climate Adaptation Postdoctoral (CAP) Fellows Program of USGS. In this role, she works... Read More →

Jen Robison

Senior Advisor Government Affairs, Rio Tinto

Our Kennecott mine is a world-class, integrated copper mining operation located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, in the United States. Kennecott has been mining and processing minerals from the rich ore body of the Bingham Canyon Mine since 1903, and today is one of the top producing... Read More →

Jens Ammon

Riverscape Project Manager, Sageland Collaborative

Jens Ammon designs, manages, and implements restoration projects as part of Sageland Collaborative's Riverscape Restoration Program. He received a Master of Ecological Restoration and a B.S. in Aquatic Ecosystem Management from Utah State University, and a B.S. in Geology from the... Read More →

Kevin Perry

Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences / University of Utah

Dr. Kevin Perry has been a Professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah since 2002. He holds a B.S. degree in meteorology from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. degree in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Washington. He has participated in... Read More →

Nick Halverson

Director of Chemistry, e-sens

Nick graduated from the University of Utah in 2018 and has worked at e-sens for the past six years, developing novel technologies for fast, accurate, and affordable detection of chemicals in drinking water.

Rose Smith

Stream Ecologist, Sageland Collaborative

Rose Smith is a Stream Ecologist leading the Riverscape Restoration program at Sageland Collaborative. She works with diverse partners to implement and conduct research on low-tech restoration practices across the western United States. Rose brings experience in ecosystem ecology... Read More →

Zachary Claerhout

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Utah / Department of Atmospheric Sciences

Zachary Claerhout is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah. He holds a B.S. degree in Environmental Geoscience from the University of Utah, where he worked as an analyst in the Seismograph Station and participated in the... Read More →

Wednesday November 20, 2024 2:45pm - 3:25pm MST
Great Hall

Group Session Networking

Topic Climate Change, Conservation/Restoration, Education/Outreach, Environmental Justice, Fire, Great Salt Lake, Green Infrastructure, Policy & Law, Technology, Water Quality, Water Quantity/Flow
Technical Level non-technical; appeal to broad audience, somewhat technical, technical; appeal to a more targeted audience

3:25pm MST

NSF Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine: Connecting Research to Practice

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:25pm - 3:55pm MST

Great Hall

Summary:
SWSIE envisions a thriving future for the Southwest as a hub of green innovation, with industries and communities supported by clean water and renewable energy with STEM-enabled jobs and economic growth accessible to all.

Full Abstract:
University of Utah along with six core academic partners are part of a multi-institutional enterprise to confront the climate challenges facing the Southwest and spur economic development in the region. The Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine (SWSIE) addresses sustainability-driven innovations with an integrated, systems-level approach to equitably transform water security, renewable energy, and net carbon emissions and use of carbon directly captured from the atmosphere. The mission is to transform the Southwest region into a national innovation hub, leading not only to positive climate impacts, but also to high wage jobs, economic growth, and technology-based startups and venture capital investments. The SWSIE Team envisions a thriving future for the Southwest as a hub of green innovation, with industries and communities supported by clean water and renewable energy with STEM-enabled jobs and economic growth accessible to all. To unleash this potential, SWSIE is building an ecosystem of researchers, innovators, educators, and decision-makers to harness STEM innovation and grow a workforce pipeline for the net zero economy. This presentation will provide an overview of the innovation of SWSIE, with a focus on water. The presentation will discuss SWSIE strength in translation of research to commercialization and connecting academia with industry. This includes a roadmap for success, workforce development, and more. Further, the presentation will provide examples of projects and future initiatives. Core academic partners in SWSIE are University of Utah, Arizona State University, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Desert Research Institute, the Water Research Foundation, SciTech Institute and Maricopa Community Colleges.

Speakers

Brenda Bowen

Professor of Geology and Geophysics and Chair of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah

Meghan Dovick

Director of the Professional Science Masters Program, University of Utah

Meghan Dovick is the Director of the Professional Science Masters program at the University of Utah, bringing over fifteen years of experience in higher education. Her roles have spanned course creation, instruction, research, and administration. Meghan’s expertise lies at the intersection... Read More →

Sarah Hinners

Director of Conservation and Research, Red Butte Garden

Sarah Jack Hinners, PHD, LFA is the Director of Conservation and Research at Red Butte Garden and Arboretum at the University of Utah since 2023. An urban and landscape ecologist, she has a BA in Geography and Environmental Studies from McGill University and a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary... Read More →

Marian Rice

Associate Director, University of Utah

Marian Rice is the Associate Director for the Energy Futures Research Engine (Energy Futures) and PEAK Water Sustainability Engine (PEAK Water). An experienced high-level administrator, Marian previously served as the Deputy Director of the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities... Read More →

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:25pm - 3:55pm MST
Great Hall

Group Session

Topic Climate Change
Technical Level non-technical; appeal to broad audience