by Jen Oden, WALPA President-Elect
WALPA will return to the east side in 2021 to host its 34th annual conference in Richland from October 20-22. Please join us at the newly remodeled Holiday Inn Richland on the Columbia River. This year’s theme, It Takes a Village, was chosen to highlight the collaborative nature of our efforts to understand, protect, and restore our lakes.
We welcome abstracts from everyone on a wide variety of lake topics. You may submit an abstract for either a presentation or a poster by July 15th. Click here to submit your abstract. Sessions will be crafted based on the submissions we receive, but have typically included topics such as stakeholder collaboration, lake management, nutrient management, harmful algal blooms, invasive aquatic species, citizen science, climate change, and projects in the Columbia River region or Lake Coeur d’Alene.
The photo contest is back again, also emphasizing the collaboration theme. Send us your best pictures of lake use and enjoyment – by humans or others. We will post them so you can vote for Best Picture in time for the Thursday evening social hour.
Conference registration is now open! Register today with this link because the discount for early registration ends August 30th. Other discounts are available for students and members of lake associations.
We have reserved a block of rooms at Holiday Inn Richland on the Columbia River – book early to get a reduced rate on rooms. You can make reservations now through their online booking link or by calling (509) 946-7611 and referencing group code LPA. Reserve your room before September 29th to get the conference group rate of $105 plus tax (for single occupancy).
To register for the conference, help sponsor it, submit an abstract or a photo to the photo contest, or with any other conference questions, visit: https://www.walpa.org/annual-conference/
We look forward to seeing you in Richland!
