2026 CONFERENCE AGENDA
Making Restoration Happen
*Check for updates, as the agenda is subject to change.
Sunday, August 30, 2026
1:00 – 5:00 pm
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
Exhibitor Set-Up (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
Monday, August 31, 2026
7:00 am (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open
8:30 am – 12:00 pm Special Sessions
1. Fish & Fire: Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science in
Watershed Restoration (Davidson 1)
-- Kenneth Brink, Vice-Chair, Karuk Tribe, Happy Camp, CA
-- Toz Soto, Karuk Tribe, Somes Bar, CA
2. Designing a Benthic Macroinvertebrate Monitoring Program for Your Stream
Restoration Projects (Davidson 2)
-- Jason York, Michael Baker International, Asheville, NC
3. Effective State-Wide Collaboration for Dam Removal in Vermont (Nine Removals in
2025!) (Davidson 3)
-- Karina Dailey, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Montpelier, VT
4. Advancing Natural Channel Design: Current Practice, Tools & Applications
(Davidson Ballroom)
-- Dave Rosgen, PhD, PH, Wildland Hydrology, Fort Collins, CO
12:00 pm | Lunch on Your Own
Opening Session (Davidson Ballroom)
From Drivers to Decisions: How Restoration Actually Happens
Competing drivers, constraints, and priorities shape restoration projects. Through three real-world case studies, this interactive opening session explores how technical, regulatory, ecological, community, and funding considerations influence restoration decisions and project outcomes.
Learn more about the Presenters
1:30 pm | Welcome & Opening Remarks
-- David Strand, Resource Institute, Winston-Salem, NC
1:40 – 2:00 | What Drives Restoration Decisions?
-- Barbara Doll, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
2:00 – 2:30 | Raven Fork Restoration Project
-- David Brown, PG, Jennings Environmental, LLC, Asheville, NC
2:30 – 3:00 | San Pedro Creek Culture Park Project
-- Rebecca Krug, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio, TX
-- Tami Norton, Ecosystem Planning & Restoration, San Antonio, TX
Break 3:00 to 3:20 pm
3:20 – 3:50 | Hayman and Waldo Canyon Wildfires, Colorado
-- Dave Rosgen, PhD, PH & Brandon Rosgen, Wildland Hydrology, Fort Collins, CO
3:50 – 4:00 | Synthesis Talk: Designing to Drivers
-- Barbara Doll, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
4:00 – 4:35 | Panel: How Decisions Actually Get Made
-- David Brown, PG, Jennings Environmental, LLC, Asheville, NC
-- Rebecca Krug, San Antonio River Authority, San Antonio, TX
-- Tami Norton, Ecosystem Planning & Restoration, San Antonio, TX
-- Dave Rosgen, PhD, PH, Wildland Hydrology, Fort Collins, CO
-- Brandon Rosgen, Wildland Hydrology, Fort Collins, CO
-- Meykayle Houghton, Cumberland River Compact, Nashville, TN
-- Ben Brown, TN Department of Transportation, Nashville, TN
-- Jeff Willoughby, City of Franklin, Franklin, TN
4:35 – 4:45 | Reflections & Key Takeaways
-- Barbara Doll, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
5:00 pm | Women in Stream Restoration (WiSR) Meeting
6:00 – 8:00 pm | Sponsors’ Reception (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
____________________________________________________________
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
7:30 am | Exhibit Hall Opens (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open (Davidson Ballroom Foyer)
8:30 am – 12:10 pm | Technical Breakout Sessions
with a Break at 10:10 am in (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
A. Dam Removal, Connectivity & Sediment Dynamics (Davidson A)
B. Design Innovations for Stream & Floodplain Systems (Davidson 3)
C. Floodplain Reconnection & Climate Resilience (Davidson C)
D. Policy, Planning & Community Partnerships (Davidson 4)
E. Riparian Vegetation, Habitat & Ecological Stewardship (Davidson 2)
F. Urban Stream Restoration: Design, Engagement & Stewardship (Davidson 1)
12:10 – 1:30 pm | Lunch Provided (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
1:30 – 5:10 pm | Technical Breakout Sessions
with a Break at 3:10 pm in the Exhibit Hall (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
G. Functional Assessment, Mitigation & Regulatory Frameworks (Davidson A)
H. Hydrologic & Hydraulic Modeling for Restoration Design (Davidson 3)
I. Infrastructure Utilities & Urban Constraints (Davidson C)
J. Monitoring, Metrics & Project Performance (Davidson 2)
K. Nature-Based Solutions & Restoration Techniques (Davidson 1)
L. Tools, Technology & Digital Innovation in Restoration (Davidson 4)
4:45 pm | Adjourn for the Day
____________________________________________________________
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
7:30 am | Exhibit Hall Opens (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open (Davidson Ballroom Foyer)
8:30 am Closing Session (Davidson Ballroom)
Restoration in a Changing Landscape: Building Support for the Future
As the restoration profession evolves, practitioners must navigate shifting funding priorities, changing public attitudes, and new opportunities to advance their work. Through panel discussions, lightning talks, and interactive dialogue, this closing plenary will explore challenges, opportunities, and strategies for sustaining restoration efforts in a changing landscape.
8:30 – 8:40 | Welcome & Framing
Facilitators: Chelsea Murphy, ECT, Madrid, NM
Will Wilhelm, Kimley-Horn, Denver, CO
8:40 - 10:00 am | Trends in Funding & Public Sentiment
Funding priorities, regulations, and public attitudes continue to shape restoration efforts across the country. Through moderated panel discussions, leaders from government agencies, local communities, nonprofits, and academia will share emerging trends and discuss strategies for sustaining restoration efforts amid changing times.
8:40 – 9:20 | Government & Agency Perspectives
-- Tracie Revis, Muscogee Nation, Macon, GA
-- David Skuodas, Mile High Flood District, Denver, CO
-- Noah Greenberg, Wright Water Engineers, Denver, CO
-- Erin Shanaberger, City of Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
9:20 – 10:00 | Nonprofit & Community Perspectives
-- George Kelly, Earth Recovery Partners, Denver, CO
-- Luke Cole, PhD, Sonoran Institute, Tucson, AZ
-- Chelsea Keefer, Stream and Wetland Foundation, Columbus, OH
-- Ashley Flintoff, Friends of the Rouge, Dearborn, MI
-- Will Weaver, Maryland Stream Restoration Association
10:00 – 10:15 | Break (Ryman Exhibit Hall B2)
10:15 – 10:50 am | Lightning Talks: Advancing Restoration Through Engagement
What drives lasting change? Through a series of brief, thought-provoking presentations, speakers will explore how restoration professionals can help shape the future of their communities, watersheds, and landscapes. Topics will include building partnerships, connecting restoration to broader community goals, communicating impact, and identifying opportunities to expand support for restoration efforts at all levels.
-- George Kelly, Earth Recovery Partners, Denver, CO
-- Tracie Revis, Muscogee Nation, Macon, GA
-- Ashley Flintoff, Friends of the Rouge, Dearborn, MI
10:50 – 11:20 am | Interactive Discussion: Shaping the Path Forward
-- Chelsea Murphy, ECT, Madrid, NM
-- Will Wilhelm, Kimley-Horn, Denver, CO
11:20 – 11:30 am | Closing Message: A Unified Path Forward
-- Chelsea Murphy, ECT, Madrid, NM
-- Will Wilhelm, Kimley-Horn, Denver, CO
11:45 am | Conference Wrap-Up, Survey & Next Steps
-- Alan Walker, Resource Institute, Waynesville, NC
12:15 pm | Cash Drawing for $500 (Must be Present to Win)
12:15 pm | Conference Adjourns - See you in 2028!
1:00 – 6:00 pm Trace Creek Field Trip: Suburban Stream Restoration in Practice
Explore 2.6 miles of suburban stream restoration in one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S. with Ecosystem Planning & Restoration and the Cumberland River Compact. This field trip highlights design and construction strategies for restoring streams in constrained, high-visibility corridors while balancing infrastructure, hydrology, regulatory requirements, and ecological uplift.
-> Field Trip Registration