Agencies, researchers and other leaders and stakeholders will team up for a discussion called “In the Know about H2O” from 3-5 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at Benton County’s Kalapuya Building in west Corvallis.
Benton County, Oregon State University, state and federal agency partners, county commissioners, industry leaders, nonprofit advocates and others will participate in a discussion as part of a Willamette Valley Planners Network meeting on a wide range of water issues, including the future of water in the Willamette Valley and the importance of individual and collective water resource management.
“These researchers, legislators and change-makers who have common understandings and different perspectives about water security are coming together for an important discussion,” Shannon Bush, Benton County Community Development Program coordinator said through a press release. “Researchers will highlight how their latest work may directly inform and/or impact water scarcity, access, or quality issues in local communities.”
OSU research presentations will be followed by a panel discussion focused on identifying opportunities to improve collaboration and partnerships, resource sharing and envisioning the future of water security in the Willamette Valley.
The event will include an open forum question-and-answer session among attendees.
Speakers will include:
Meghna Babbar-Sebens, OSU associate professor of Water Resources Engineering and co-director of the OSU-Benton County Green Stormwater Infrastructure facility.
• Xue Jin, assistant professor, environmental engineering, College of Engineering (drinking water expertise).
• Salini Sasidharan, assistant professor, Biological and Ecological Engineering, College of Agriculture (groundwater management expertise).
• Mary Santelmann, professor, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (wetlands ecology, biogeography expertise).
• Abigail Tomasek, assistant professor and Statewide Soil Water Quality Extension specialist, Crop and Soil Science, College of Agriculture.
• Mohammed F. Azizian, faculty research associate, School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering.
• Andrew Millison, senior instructor, Department of Horticulture and founder of Permaculture Design.
• Stephen Gingerich, U.S. Geological Survey research hydrologist.
Panelists will include:
• Xanthippe Augerot, Benton County commissioner.
• J. Rose Wallick, USGS hydrologist at Oregon Water Resource Center.
• Todd Jarvis, Institute for Water & Watersheds (water policy and governance expertise).
• Sean Scorvo, Benton County planning commissioner.
• James Thom, HP operations director.
• Darren Nichols, Benton County Community Development director (panel moderator).
The Kalapuya Building is located at 4500 SW Research Way.