Agenda Now Available for the 2024 WRRI Annual Conference

The draft agenda for NC WRRI’s annual conference is now available online. View the agenda to learn more about session topics and schedules, lightning talks, poster presentations, and more. Please note that this draft agenda is subject to change—attendees should periodically check for agenda updates.

Our 26th annual conference will take place on March 20 and March 21 at the McKimmon Conference Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. Registration for the NC WRRI annual conference is open until March 11.

The conference brings together all sectors and all disciplines working in water resources across North Carolina, and covers a diverse array of water-related topics. Session topics for the 2024 conference include:

• Innovations in wastewater treatment
• The ebb and flow of estuarine trends
• Animal agriculture and nutrient management
• Achieving equity in water resources
• Contaminants: metals, PFAS, and pesticides
• Erosion and streambank assessment
• The future of water resources
• Harmful Algal Blooms in the greater Albemarle Sound estuarine system
• Water quality in headwaters and mountain watersheds
• Implications of Waters of the US
• Monitoring and modeling approaches for lake and reservoir management
• Drivers of vulnerability in coastal areas
• Best management practices in restoration
• Water quality in headwaters and mountain watersheds
• Implementing natural infrastructure and nature-based solutions
• Status of the Falls Lake rules readoption process
• & more!

Many presentations feature research from current or previous WRRI-facilitated student, faculty, and community collaborative research projects. These include research on flood exposure in Eastern NC, microplastics in headwater basins in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, the impacts of saltwater intrusion on freshwater tidal wetlands, and more.

Each day of the conference will also feature lightning talks, poster presentations, and networking opportunities. These events give conference attendees the chance to connect with water resources researchers, students, practitioners, and community organizations across the state.

Several registration tiers are available for students, traditional registrants, and nonprofit and government exhibitors. Current NC Water Resources Association members are eligible to receive a discounted registration to the WRRI Conference.

Businesses and corporations interested in attending the conference should consider supporting NC WRRI with a sponsorship. Sponsors receive complimentary registration and exhibit space. The deadline for exhibitors and sponsors is February 28th. WRRI would like to thank North Carolina Biotechnology Center and Burroughs Welcome Fund for their generous sponsorship.