Eastern South Dakota Water Conference set for Oct. 29

BROOKINGS — The Eastern South Dakota Water Conference (ESDWC) will be held Oct. 29, 2014 on the campus of South Dakota State University in the University Student Union, Volstroff Ballroom.

This one-day conference held each year and attracts about 150 attendees to discuss water issues impacting our state and nation.

“The goal of the ESDWC is to bring stakeholders in water resources, including policy makers, industry, agriculture, officials from federal, state, and local governments, universities, engineers, interest organizations and the citizens of the state together to exchange information, discuss solutions to current and emerging water resources topics, define new policies and network to form professional relationships,” said Daniel Ostrem SDSU Extension Water Resource Field Specialist.

This year’s event will host keynote speakers Matt Helmers, Associate Professor for Water Quality and Management, at Iowa State University and Tony Willardson, Executive Director of the Western States Water Council. There will also be presentations from EPA and Farm Bureau on the Waters of the United States Proposed Rule. These presentations will be given by Rebecca Perrin of EPA Region 8 and Wayne Smith of South Dakota Farm Bureau.

A large number of college-level students from engineering, agronomy and other biological sciences will also attend the conference to engage in water-related discussions of relevance to the state and the region and meet with prospective employers.

Students and citizens attending the conference in a non-professional capacity may attend sessions for free, however those attendees who do not pay the registration fee of $90 will not be served lunch or allowed up front parking.

All attendees are asked to register on-line at http://www.sdstate.edu/abe/wri/activities/ESDWC. The website will also have information for parking and the conference agenda will be posted prior to the event.