Join us in Walla Walla for a look back at lake management

It has been nearly 30 years since a group of concerned people started the Washington State Lake Protection Association. In that time, both WALPA and the science of lake ecology and management have changed dramatically. This year’s annual conference in Walla Walla will be a special event looking back at this evolution as we prepare for the next 30 years of successful lake management. If you haven’t yet done so, make plans now to join us October 26-28. Of course we hope to see all our current members in October. The membership committee will also reach out to invite past WALPA members and leaders who have contributed to lake protection and to the creation and growth of WALPA. While the conference will focus on the evolution of lake management, there will be sessions on a wide variety of lake management and protection topics, and workshops on October 26^th. We have not yet finalized the exact session topics, but sessions would likely address:

• Nutrient management
• Harmful algal blooms (HABs)
• Invasive aquatic species
• Volunteer monitoring/citizen science
• Fish ecology
• Student research
• History of lake management
• Topics related to the Walla Walla region and/or drought effects

The Call for Abstracts will open on June 1^st and close on September 4^th.  Submissions can be made electronically at www.walpa.org. In addition to hearing talks and seeing posters on the latest lake work, conference attendees get to network and have fun, too! Once again we will have a social event with a raffle and silent auction to raise money for our student scholarships. This year’s Secchi Disk Award winner (see related story) will be announced, and we will award prizes for the photo contest and the best student poster/talk.

You can help:

The planning committee needs your help to make this year’s conference a success.

• Send us photos of past conferences
• Help us showcase the history of WALPA through your photos. Please send them to: info@walpa.org.
• Help us find former members

Our database has not kept pace with changing addresses and emails. If you know former members who haven’t been to a conference in a while, help us reconnect by sending their current contact information to info@walpa.org. Also note that anyone who subscribes to Waterline will be put on our email list automatically. Don’t forget to join us in October for a memorable conference! More details are available at www.walpa.org.