Annual Meeting Summary – Oct 2017

The 2017 ICWP Annual Meeting took place October 3-5 at the historic Admiral Fell Inn on the Baltimore Harbor.

The meeting began with a water resources field tour aboard the Maryland Port Authority’s vessel, the Marylynn. Sights along the tour included Domino Sugar, Fort McHenry National Monument, Baltimore Harbor shipping terminals, and the Star Spangled Buoy at Key Bridge. Onboard, local professionals pointed out key areas of interest and informally presented and answered questions on long-term planning efforts, Baltimore City’s Water Pollution Prevention Program, and channeling innovation efforts to address sedimentation.

The second day of the meeting included a welcome from Heidi Moltz and Carlton Haywood from the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin and keynote speaker Ben Grumbles, Maryland’s Secretary of the Environment. Mr. Grumbles underscored the importance of interstate collaboration related to water, the nexus of energy policy and climate change, and air pollution. The day progressed with two panels of top-notch professionals: 1) federal agency updates from the U.S. Department of the Army, U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Weather Service’s Office of Water Prediction and 2)water resources infrastructure legislation, policy, and funding. The panelists engaged attendees through their diverse federal, local, and non-profit perspectives. The day concluded with an ICWP member roundtable that allowed participants to exchange ideas and discuss priority areas for ICWP action in the coming year.

The final day of the meeting began with the ICWP annual business meeting, including the treasurer’s report, executive director’s report, and election of directors and officers. A technical panel on best practices, tools, and emerging technologies for water managers followed. Topics included novel technologies for groundwater modeling, sustainable groundwater supply options for the Mid-Atlantic, and tools for collaborative drought planning in the Susquehanna basin. The final panel of the day focused on USGS initiatives, providing attendees with updates on key USGS efforts from the Water Availability and Use Science Program as well as the Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program.

Attendees were pleased with the scope of presentations, and meeting organizers thank everyone who assisted with meeting logistics.