Shared Waters, Shared Solutions:
Strengthening Connections in a Time of Shifting Hydrology

The Alaska Section of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) is excited to host the AK-AWRA 2026 Spring Conference in Anchorage, Alaska, themed "Shared Waters, Shared Solutions: Strengthening Connections in a Time of Shifting Hydrology".

Abstract Submission Deadline: OPEN through March 27th, 2026. Submit abstracts here.

In-person & virtual registration is open now through the conference.

Call for Abstracts & Student Posters

We are requesting abstracts addressing scientific, technical, and socioeconomic topics related to water resource uses and management. This multidisciplinary conference provides presenters and attendees with the opportunity to connect, share ideas, and develop solutions. We invite seasoned and young professionals, academics, students, non-profit groups, tribal organizations, and the public to attend and submit an abstract. Abstract submission is now open through March 27th, 2026. Key questions to consider when developing your abstracts are:

How can we develop solutions to mitigate the impacts of water-related disasters, protecting life and infrastructure?
How do we best manage the conservation and development of water resources for shared anthropogenic and ecological uses?
What are the implications of different water management strategies, from scientific, engineering, legal, and local perspectives?
How do we engage and empower co-production of knowledge to create resilience, strengthen adaptive capacity, and support collaborative decision-making in the face of shifting hydrology and increasing uncertainty?

Conference Topics

These examples list some water-related topics covered at our conference:

Stewardship - Regulating, monitoring, and protecting ecosystems through interdisciplinary and multi-jurisdictional perspectives.
Development - How to plan, design, and protect infrastructure considering the impacts of future hydrologic regimes.
Management - Sustaining water resources for shared ecological functions and anthropogenic uses including fisheries, hydroelectricity, transportation, and other industries.
Challenges for Coastal Communities - Extreme weather events, frequent floods, changing groundwater dynamics, and increasing coastal erosion.
Land Hazards and Risks - Mitigating landslides, subsidence, permafrost degradation, and terrestrial risks.
Water Quality and Limnology - Pollutants, impacts, and mitigation strategies to maintain clean water and healthy ecosystems.
Hydrologic Connectivity - Pathways connecting groundwater, surface water, local weather, and global climate.
Cryosphere - Changes in the magnitude, timing, and dynamics of precipitation, ice, glaciers, and other cold-regions processes.
Technology - improving understanding and mitigating risks through technologic innovation and advancements in methodology.
Geospatial/Modeling - GIS and computer-modeling tools to make sense of variables and relationships implicit to water resource management.
Community Perspectives and Indigenous Approaches - Observations of change, impacts to subsistence activities, and adaptation practices.
Jurisdictional - Intersecting water laws and policies related to aquatic habitat, fisheries, and wildlife conservation and development.

AWRA's commitment to community, conversation, and connection guides our efforts organizing this conference annually. Compelling presentations are the foundation, and we look forward to your abstracts, which will help provide insights and inputs to stimulate informative conversation. Come make connections and contribute to these conversations!

Types of Presentations

Individual Oral Presentations: Individual oral presentations consist of 20-minute presentations with ~10-minutes for questions, grouped into 1-2-hour sessions consisting of similar topics.
Poster Presentations: We invite poster presentations relevant to any of the conference topics from professionals, students, and anyone interested in sharing their work. Posters will be displayed throughout the conference and during a dedicated poster session.
Panel Sessions: Panel sessions address a central topic, with brief (5-10 minute) panelist presentations, followed by a moderated discussion. Panel sessions require just one abstract, submitted by the organizer/moderator. Please include the panelists' name and contact info.
Lightning Talks: Lightning talks are no more than 5 minutes, limited to 5 PowerPoint slides, and will be included periodically throughout the conference. While we may be able to accommodate lightning talk requests past the abstract submission deadline, we appreciate the prior request for a lightning talk through the abstract submission form, so we can include it with similar topics.
Other - Workshops, Fieldtrips, etc.: If you would like to organize a workshop or field trip, please submit a request through the abstract submission form and contact the conference planners at awra.alaska@gmail.com right away. We invite creative, original, and compelling ideas.

Abstract Preparation

Before submitting your abstract online, please have all the following information:

Contact Info: Name, title, employer, full mailing address, email address, phone number of the main contact or presenter, as well as the names of co-presenters or co-authors.
Type of presentation: Oral, Poster, Panel, Lightning, or Other.
Abstract title.
Abstract (350 words or fewer).
Multiple abstract submissions may be accepted from the same individual or organization, just be sure to submit abstracts individually within the Abstract Application Form
Presentations may be made in-person or virtually, though we encourage in-person presentations if you are able to. All in-person and virtual presenters must pay a conference registration fee.

Membership in AK AWRA is encouraged but is not a requirement for presentation. However, AK AWRA membership will save you on conference registration fees. Individuals can become a member or renew their membership here.

Abstract Submission Process

Before submitting your abstract online, please have all the following information:

Click here to access the Abstract Submission Form (also available in the right sidebar).
Please enter all the required information, including contact info, the presentation type, the abstract title, and the abstract (350 word maximum).
Click 'Submit Form'.
If you would like to submit another abstract, select 'Submit another response'.

Acceptance Notification

The Program Committee will review abstracts for originality, technical merit, currency, and relevance to the conference topics. The quality of the submitted abstract will be considered in acceptance of the abstract/presentation opportunity. Abstracts received after the deadline may not be considered or accepted. All conference attendees, including presenters, must pay the conference registration fee.

Before submitting an abstract, authors should be confident they will have funding to pay the registration fee, attend the meeting, and make the presentation. If the presenter finds he/she can't attend, they should try to find another person to make the presentation. If cancellation is unavoidable, the presenter should notify us no later than March 27th, 2026. Requests for registration refunds may be considered up to March 27th, 2026. Refunds will not be available after that date, but we can transfer your registration to someone else. Please note that topics, themes, and sessions arranged for the program are placed where they most make sense for the flow of the entire program. Late cancellations and failure to give scheduled presentations are disruptive and leave gaps in the program that distract all attendees.

Questions?

If you should have any questions about abstracts or conference registration and Alaska Section AWRA Membership, please contact us at awra.alaska@gmail.com. Additionally, if you are unable to access the Abstract Submission Form on your computer you may email your abstract to us. Please be sure to include all the items listed above.

Conference Registration

Registration is open now through the conference. To receive conference membership pricing, please become a member at our membership page before registering for the conference. We look forward to seeing you in April!

Conference Sponsorship

Thank you to our sponsors! We are continuing to accept sponsors for this year's conference - please contact awra.alaska@gmail.com.