After postponement in 2020, the Nebraska Water Center’s annual conference will return this August. 

Entitled “The Shape of Water in Western Nebraska,” the conference will be held Monday, Aug. 16 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Panhandle Research and Extension Center in Scottsbluff. An all-star lineup of Nebraska water professionals will discuss water infrastructure in the panhandle, western Nebraska’s unique hydrogeology, and innovation in water and agricultural management. 

“We are grateful the pandemic has reached a point that allows us to again offer an engaging, in-person conference,” said Nebraska Water Center Director Dr. Chittaranjan Ray.

Additionally, the conference will feature a research poster session and evening banquet at the Legacy of the Plains Museum. On Aug. 17 and 18, a post-conference water tour — organized by the North Platte Natural Resources District and Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce — will meander through natural landmarks, canals, recreation areas and working farms and ranches in western Nebraska. 

“We are planning on using two buses in anticipation of a tour group numbering over 90, and there will be some modifications to the tour that we are very excited about, including a group dinner and panel discussion and the use of multimedia devices to learn more about the sites and history of the North Platte Project during the two-day tour,” added Karen Anderson, executive director of the Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce.

Western Nebraska residents may register for the tour by phone at 308-632-2133 or email.

Round trip transportation will be offered from Lincoln to Scottsbluff on a first-come, first-serve basis and will depart Sunday, Aug. 15 and return Thursday, Aug. 19. 

To learn more and register for the conference, visit the Nebraska Water Center website.