With one month to
go before our Annual
Conference, I am...
President's Message | September/October 2022
With one month to
go before our Annual
Conference, I am
excited to share with
you this issue of Water
Resources IMPACT. This
issue gives us a glimpse
into the breadth of the
challenges that water
resource practitioners
are engaged with in
the Pacific Northwest.
From threats to
salmon, a missing
state plan, attempts to
broaden engagement,
contaminants of
emerging concern,
and groundwater contamination, to complex and thorny
struggles over water resources—the Pacific Northwest has
it all.
Water resources are multifaceted. Water resources are
complicated. Water resources are life. Water resources
practitioners see the inherent value of water. We act as
translators for the resource. We try as best we can to voice
what the data is telling us and what potential solutions
might be. However, we often don’t hold the power to
make the ultimate decisions. Instead, we often rely on
decision makers to move work forward. This is where
engagement is critical. Engagement can take time, but
bringing everyone together and going through an inclusive
process in pursuit of a common vision is absolutely
essential. Once the vision is formed, we can implement
change. Easier said than done, right?
This is where AWRA comes in. As a multidisciplinary
association, AWRA offers a forum where we can learn
and discuss a whole range of water topics with people
who approach water through so many different lenses.
I still remember my first Pacific Northwest conference
in Portland. I came back home so energized from the
different conversations I had with the new people I met. I
was inspired. The synergy of these interactions led to new
ideas, possible solutions, and lessons learned. In a period
of three days, I went from not knowing what to expect to
going home ready to tackle new water challenges.
I am so excited to be heading back to the Pacific
Northwest for AWRA Annual Water Resources
Conference—one of the most diverse and inclusive
conferences in water resources management. For the first
time since Salt Lake City in 2019, we will return to the “live”
format. Though our 2020 and 2021 virtual conferences
were extraordinary, for many of us Seattle 2022 will
represent a welcome return to more “normal” times.
The preliminary program is now available, and more
hotel rooms have been added. Click here to learn all about
it. I hope you can join us there
Claire Bleser is the 2022 president of AWRA.