ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – The Alabama Water Resources Conference brought together more than 360 attendees, 125 concurrent session speakers and 39 poster presenters Sept. 3–5 at the Perdido Beach Resort.
The annual event is organized by the Alabama Section of the American Water Resources Association, established in 1987 to connect professionals in water research and management. This year’s program included symposiums, oral and poster presentations, lightning talks and networking opportunities, with a strong emphasis on student research and early career development. The conference brings together Alabama’s water community to foster dialogue across disciplines and tackle water challenges facing the state, the region and the nation.
The Alabama Water Institute, CONSERVE Research Group and the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, or CIROH, hosted an interactive booth during the event. Visitors engaged with AWI’s education and outreach programs and took part in the popular “Wheel of Water,” an activity designed to spark conversations about water research, training and public engagement.
“While we have previously taken AWI’s water trivia wheel to educational events for K-16 students, ALWRC was the first time we brought it to an event populated by water-focused academics and professionals,” said Marie Wilson, AWI education and outreach coordinator. “Many people who spun the wheel were surprised to receive stumping questions, allowing them to learn something new in the process and ignite their curiosity around a topic. This led to engaging discussions about our wide variety of education/outreach initiatives and heightened interest in future collaborations.”
University of Alabama faculty, staff and partners played an active role in the program, with participation in panels and sessions on artificial intelligence in water resources, coastal issues, agriculture and irrigation, water quality, aquatic ecology, modeling and water management and more.
The ALWRC continues to play a key role in uniting Alabama’s water community, equipping the next generation of professionals and driving solutions for the state, region and beyond.
About CIROH
The Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, or CIROH, is a NOAA Cooperative Institute hosted at The University of Alabama and supported by the National Weather Service. As a unique national consortium with 28 partner institutions, CIROH unites academic, government and private sector partners to co-produce research that enhances operational water prediction capabilities and informs critical decision-making for issues like floods, droughts and water quality. Through its interdisciplinary research, educational initiatives and outreach programs, CIROH advances NOAA’s water prediction services with new techniques such as artificial intelligence and remote sensing, equips the next generation of water-resource professionals with essential skills and fosters public and stakeholder engagement to support federal agency and private sector needs. CIROH transforms scientific innovations into practical solutions and operational tools that boosts the delivery of actionable water intelligence, increases effectiveness of water resources management, promotes community resilience and informs decision-makers across the United States.