The Colorado Chapter of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) and the Colorado Ground Water Association (CGWA) is thrilled to announce their annual Symposium, set to take place at the Mt. Vernon Canyon Club on Friday, May 2nd, 2025. This year’s theme, A Journey of Water in the West: Legacy and Progress, will delve into the rich historical roots of water development in the American West and explore how the lessons learned can guide us toward a sustainable and equitable future.
As we face the challenges of climate change, drought, and increasing water demands, it is crucial to balance the competing needs of various stakeholders. The Symposium aims to foster collaboration, communication, and creativity to build long-lasting solutions to today’s water issues. The event will feature a full day of engaging and educational technical content, including a keynote presentation from Patti Rettig, Archivist for the Water Resources Archive at the Colorado State University Libraries (and Water Education Colorado blog contributor).
The symposium will kick off with breakfast in the picturesque Mt. Vernon Canyon Club, providing an opportunity for attendees to jump-start their morning and connect with colleagues. The morning session will begin with an update from Water Education Colorado (WEco) about upcoming happenings, including Water Leaders, Water Fluency, the River Basin Tour of the Southwest, and their upcoming publications. The morning session will also include Patti Rettig’s keynote speech highlighting important conflicts and collaborations in Colorado water history.
Presentations throughout the day will follow two tracks: Collaboration and Partnership, and Water Management. The Collaboration and Partnership track will highlight creative and collaborative partnerships that find common ground and shared interests between multiple water stakeholders. These presentations will provide not just case studies of successful collaborations but also showcase tools and techniques for leveraging partner funding, enhancing project management, and cooperative data sharing. The Water Management track will focus on technical aspects of water management and planning, as communities look toward an uncertain future and plan for changes in climate, population, and water use. Both tracks will include sessions addressing economic, regulatory, and administrative trends impacting water resources across Colorado. Sessions will also include student presentations from this yea’s AWRA and CGWA scholarship winners. Including students in these sessions allows rising professionals to connect with the broader water community while providing insights into the academic pursuits of upcoming water leaders.
The Symposium will offer multiple networking opportunities during session breaks and lunch, and the event will be capped off with a happy hour and silent auction. Proceeds from the silent auction will go directly to CGWA and AWRA scholarship recipients, supporting the education of future groundwater and water resources professionals.
Symposium registration is open on both the AWRA and CGWA websites. Registration spots are filling up quickly, so anyone interested is encouraged to register soon. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
CGWA and AWRA are nonprofit organizations committed to advancing the knowledge and understanding of groundwater hydrology and water resources. Both organizations work to support the education of future groundwater and water resource professionals, each providing annual scholarships to Colorado students in their respective fields. Join us for a day of insightful discussions, networking, and collaboration as we explore the legacy and progress of water in the West and work together to build a sustainable and equitable future for all.
Skylar is a water resources engineer at Brown and Caldwell, where her work primarily focuses on water rights and water resources in the American West. She has experience in historical consumptive use analyses, water supply planning, drought mitigation, and water rights valuations. Prior to her career in engineering, she worked in energy policy and sustainability; this work included several years at a large organic dairy, where she developed renewable energy projects, evaluated carbon emissions targets, and led a company-wide sustainability curriculum. Skylar has a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College, as well as a B.S. in Engineering Physics and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Colorado School of Mines. If she’s not at her desk, she’s out having fun with her husband and two boys.
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