AWRA 2008 Annual Water Resources Conference

The American Water Resources Association’s 44th Water Resources Annual Conference will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2008.  Dixieland Jazz, Cajun and Creole food, parades and beads, the French Quarter all served up with a touch of voodoo, combine to make New Orleans a most exciting venue for a Conference.  While some of the surrounding areas are still working hard on the Katrina recovery effort, downtown New Orleans and the famous French Quarter are alive and well, setting record attendance numbers at many events.

But more than the excitement of the city, the Mississippi River delta, the Louisiana coastline and the entire southeast are at the center of some of the most serious water resources problems currently being experienced by the United States.  The double blows of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita from which recovery is still taking place, coupled with the record drought now being experienced by much of the southeast, record wetland and coastline losses, and the hypoxia zone in the Gulf of Mexico combine to make New Orleans an outstanding venue for focusing on and spotlighting these problems together with the water resources problems and successes of other areas of our country.  Certainly both historic and recent issues regarding the federal flood protection system of the city have highlighted the major water resources infrastructure needs not only of the New Orleans area but of the entire country.

New Orleans, the Crescent City, has since its early days, played an integral role in our water resources history.  Thomas Jefferson authorized the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 recognizing the significance of the city of New Orleans, its port, and the importance of the Mississippi River for moving goods and services to newly settled areas in the Mississippi and Ohio River basins.  His vision has been validated many times over – New Orleans is one of the busiest ports in North America.  The Mississippi River is the world’s busiest waterway and is a vital part of the economic stability of the United States.  More than 6,000 vessels visit the port annually.  New Orleans also is a central focus of the fishing industry in the United States.  Louisiana’s fishing industry is the second largest in the United States accounting annually for 26 percent of the seafood landed and for 40 percent of all seafood consumed by Americans.

AWRA’s Annual Water Resources Conference provides a multidisciplinary outlet for any subject related to water resources research, education, and management and, thus, is a forum for all participants in the water resources community.  Presentations on any topic related to water resources are solicited and are welcomed.  In addition, individuals and groups have the opportunity to propose and organize panel discussions or special sessions that consist of linked presentations on a particular topic.  For this Conference, the organizers especially encourage sessions that focus on water resources issues in the New Orleans area, especially those issues that may have national or international significance.  For example, they might include the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governor’s Action Plan for Healthy and Resilient Coasts, or the National Levee Certification Program.  Other specialty session topics might include large regional wetland restoration/protection projects from around the world, such as the Everglades and the Pantenal, or other hot topics from recent AWRA Specialty Conferences or from the National Water Resources Policy Dialogues.  Anyone interested in organizing a special session should contact Patrick Victor (victorpr@cdm.com), the Technical Program Chair, for more information.