The joint annual conference of the Washington State Lake Protection Association (WALPA) and Oregon Lakes Association (OLA) October 9-11 drew nearly 150 attendees to Portland. With a theme of Limnology-The Next Generation, the event featured three plenary speakers who gave terrific talks on “Exploring Aquatic Biodiversity with eDNA” (Brooke Penaluna, USDA Forest Service), “Monitoring for HABs in the Columbia River” (Patrick Moran, US Geological Survey), and “Zebra-Quagga Mussel Monitoring and Planning in Washington State” (Brian Turner, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife).
A great opportunity to learn more about aquatic plants
The conference also included sessions on new technologies, harmful algal bloom science and management, water quality, aquatic invasive species management, and lake ecology. Eleven posters covered topics like nutrients, lake management, algae, experimental designs, dams, spotted frogs, and more.
On Friday, two concurrent workshops were held. The first, on harmful algal blooms, featured updates on HAB management in both Oregon and Washington, scientific talks, and a panel discussion on coordination across the two states. The second workshop — on aquatic invasive species — featured talks and opportunities for practicing identification with hands-on demonstrations.
Attendees enjoying the river cruise
A highlight of this year’s conference was a cruise on the Willamette River, which included a stop at Ross Island Lagoon and featured talks by OLA members Desiree Tullos and Kurt Carpenter. The cruise brought rave reviews from attendees, prompting several to call the conference “the best conference I have ever been to!”
Every year, WALPA organizes a live auction, silent auction, and raffle at the conference to raise money for our scholarships. This year was no exception, with auction items from YSI, Lake Quinault Lodge, Patagonia, Ballard FC, Aquatic Research Instruments, 4Stitch Brewing, and more, as well as donations from Trailhead Coffee, Slow Loris Clothing, Top Rung Brewing, McMenamins, Urban Family Brewing, EutroPhix, NALMS, and more. We gratefully acknowledge all of the organizations and businesses for their donations. In total, we raised nearly $5,000, which will be split between WALPA and OLA.
Congratulations to scholarship recipients from both organizations! Winners were John Buster, Washington State University Tri-Cities, PhD student (Nancy Weller Memorial Scholarship, WALPA); Cara Gutenberg, Western Washington University, MS student (Dave Lamb Memorial Scholarship, WALPA), Sasha Vinogradova, University of Washington – Tacoma, BS student (WALPA Undergraduate Scholarship); and Zoe Chavis, Oregon State University, MS student (OLA Student Scholarship).
Also at the conference, this year’s Secchi Award went to Ben Peterson (King County Noxious Weed Control) for his tireless work of many years to reduce the impacts of aquatic invasive plants on lakes throughout King County (see related story).
A beautiful night on the Willamette
At the annual business meeting, WALPA welcomed new board members Wafa Tafesh (President-Elect), Anna Mostovetsky (Director), Darren Brandt (Director), Katie Ewen (Director), and Jamie Brunner (Director). We thank departing board members Matt Colston (Past President), Shannon Brattebo (Director), Corinne Klohmann (Director), and Bradley Roth (Director).
An important item announced at the business meeting was the majority vote to pass a group of amendments to the bylaws, which can be found on WALPA’s website at https://www.walpa.org/about-us/. See the related story this issue on changes to the membership payment structure, which affect all members.
We would like to thank the organizing committee, session speakers and moderators, and our host facility, University Place Hotel and Conference Center. We also want to acknowledge our outstanding list of sponsors:
Thanks to all and see you in 2025!
