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
Exhibitor Set-Up (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
Monday, August 31, 2026
7:00 am (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open
9:00 am - 11:30 am Special Sessions
1. Fish & Fire: Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science in
Watershed Restoration
-- 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
-- Jason York, Michael Baker Intl, Asheville, NC
3. Effective State-Wide Collaboration for Dam Removal in Vermont (Nine Removals in
2025!)
-- Karina Dailey, Vermont Natural Resources Council, Montpelier, VT
4. Natural Channel Design: Evolution, Application & Future Direction
-- Dave Rosgen, PhD, PH, Wildland Hydrology, Fort Collins, CO
12:00 Lunch on Your Own
1:30 pm– 4:45 pm
Opening Plenary Session
From Drivers to Decisions: How Restoration Actually Happens
Restoration does not happen in a vacuum. Projects are driven by competing priorities, real constraints, and on-the-ground decisions. Through interactive case studies and discussion, this session examines how practitioners navigate those realities and what it means for effective restoration.
1:30 pm
Welcome & Opening Remarks
-- David Strand, Resource Institute, Winston-Salem, NC
1:40 pm
Framing: What Drives Restoration?
-- Facilitator - Barbara Doll, PhD, PE, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
2:00 pm
Case Study 1 – East Region
2:30 pm
Case Study 2 – Southwest Region
3:00 pm Break in the Exhibit Hall
3:20 pm
Case Study 3 – Mountain West Region
3:50 pm
Designing to Drivers
-- Facilitator - Barbara Doll, PhD, PE, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
4:00 pm
Panel: How Decisions Actually Get Made
4:45 pm Adjourn
5:00 pm
Women in Stream Restoration (WiSR) Meeting
6 - 8 pm Sponsors’ Reception (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
____________________________________________________________
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
7:30 am (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open
8:30 am– 12:10 pm Technical Breakout Sessions
with a Break at 10:10 am in (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
A. Dam Removal, Connectivity & Sediment Dynamics
B. Design Innovations for Stream & Floodplain Systems
C. Floodplain Reconnection & Climate Resilience
D. Policy, Planning & Community Partnerships
E. Riparian Vegetation, Habitat & Ecological Stewardship
F. Urban Stream Restoration: Design, Engagement & Stewardship
12:10 – 1:30 pm Lunch Provided
1:30 - 5:10 pm Technical Breakout Sessions
with a Break at 3:10 pm in the Exhibit Hall (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
G. Functional Assessment, Mitigation & Regulatory Frameworks
H. Hydrologic & Hydraulic Modeling for Restoration Design
I. Infrastructure Utilities & Urban Constraints
J. Monitoring, Metrics & Project Performance
K. Nature-Based Solutions & Restoration Techniques
L. Tools, Technology & Digital Innovation in Restoration
4:45 pm Adjourn for the Day
____________________________________________________________
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
7:30 am (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
Registration & Conference Information Desk Open
8:30 am Closing Session
10:00 am Break (Ryman Exhibit Hall B3)
10:20 am
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 2026!
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