Irrigated Agriculture Responds to Water Use Challenges —
Strategies for Success
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Austin, Texas
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A USCID Water Management Conference
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April 3 - 6, 2012
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Conference and Exhibition Information
Introduction
USCID is pleased to announce its first Water Management Conference in the state of Texas in more than two decades. Texas has the third largest irrigated area in the U.S. (more than six million acres) and the tenth most surface water deliveries to irrigation (nearly 2.4 million acre-feet). The state faces the same type of challenges and pressures on water supply, drought conditions, permitting and regulatory issues, irrigation district management and urbanization as the rest of us in the western U.S. By the same token, there are numerous opportunities for all of us in the irrigation industry to lead the way in future water management activities and policies.
By hosting this Conference in Texas, we hope to collaborate and learn about similarities and differences in irrigation issues and strategies between our traditional conference base in the western U.S., and those in Texas.
The Conference will be held in the exciting and vibrant city of Austin, home to the University of Texas and a multitude of recreational and entertainment opportunities.
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Who Should Attend?
Participants in this multi-disciplinary Conference will be professionals from the U.S. and abroad with an interest in irrigation, drainage and water resources planning, including engineers, scientists and managers representing water districts, government agencies, academia and consulting firms.
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Conference Format and Program
The Conference will begin with a Tuesday morning field tour to the Lower Colorado River Authority's Redbud Operations Center. The Tuesday lunch speaker is Suzanne Zarling, Executive Manager of Integrated Resource Planning, Lower Colorado River Authority. The Tuesday afternoon Opening Plenary Session will open with a Keynote Address, The Future of Irrigation in Texas, by Robert E. Mace, Deputy Executive Administrator, Water Science and Conservation, Texas Water Development Board, Austin.
The Opening Plenary Session will also feature several presentations on contemporary issues facing water resources professionals:
- Impacts of Climate Change on Water Resources Development, Ronnie M. Lemons, Freese and Nichols, Inc., Fort Worth, TX
- Relating International Irrigation Developments to the U.S. Experience, by Mark Svendsen, Consultant, Philomath, OR
- Implementation of an Integrated Program for Modernization of Irrigation Districts — The Texas Experience, by Askarali Karimov and Guy Fipps, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
- Low Head Hydro, by Joe E. Blankenship, Natel Energy, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ
- Strength and Weaknesses of Representative SCADA Projects in Texas, by Askarali Karimov and Guy Fipps, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
Wednesday papers will be presented in a Plenary Session, addressing SCADA and Automation; and Drought Management. The SCADA Session will be continued on Thursday morning, concurrently with a session on Conservation. Afternoon concurrent sessions will address Technology and District Operations. Additional papers will be presented during the Poster Session, held during continental breakfast and breaks on Thursday.
The Wednesday dinner speaker, James Oliver, National Park Service, will discuss irrigation systems of the Spanish missions. The Thursday lunch speaker will be Mark Treviño, Oklahoma-Texas Area Manager, Great Plains Region, Bureau of Reclamation.
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Exhibition and Sponsorships
An Exhibition will be held Tuesday evening and Wednesday. To maximize opportunities for exhibitors to meet with Conference participants, several functions will take place in the exhibition hall, including the Tuesday opening reception, and continental breakfast, buffet lunch and coffee breaks on Wednesday.
The Tuesday Plenary Session will conclude with Meet the Exhibitors, providing an opportunity for exhibitors to give a brief summary of their products and services. The welcome reception in the exhibit hall will immediately follow.
Conference Exhibitors are listed below. Additional Exhibitors will be listed as they reserve their space.
Aquatic Informatics Inc.
FreeWave Technologies
Hanna Instruments
Kisters North America, Inc.
Natel Energy, Inc.
NOV Ameron
Reinke Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Rubicon Water
SonTek/YSI Incorporated
Teledyne RD Instruments
Texas Water Development Board
TruePoint Solutions
WEST Consultants, Inc.
Conference Sponsors are listed below. Additional Sponsors will be listed as they reserve their space.
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Hotel
The Conference will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin, 6505 I-35 North, Austin, TX 78752; 512-454-3737. Located just minutes from downtown, the University of Texas, the State Capitol and the Sixth Street entertainment district, the hotel features a fitness center, 24-hour business center, outdoor pool and whirlpool, and the Courtyard Cafe, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Complimentary local area shuttle service (within a two-mile radius) is offered.
The rate for Conference participants is $104 single or double, plus tax. To make reservations, call the Doubletree at 512-454-3737 or 800-347-0330, and ask for the special USCID rate. You may also reserve your room online. The room block at this rate is guaranteed only through March 12. Reservations made after March 12 will be at the prevailing room rate, subject to availability.
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Field Tours
Tuesday, April 3
The Field Tour will visit the Lower Colorado River Authority’s Redbud Operations Center. LCRA manages water supplies for cities, farmers and industries along a 600-mile stretch of the Texas Colorado River between San Saba and the Gulf Coast. The tour will leave the DoubleTreehotel at 8:00 a.m. and return by 11:30 a.m.
Friday, April 6
This day-long tour will feature a visit to the Lower Colorado River Authority’s Smithville Rail Fleet Maintenance Facility; LCRA maintains more than 2,000 railcars that transport Western coal from Wyoming mines to the Fayette Power Project. The steel fabrication team at Smithville supports projects for other LCRA energy and water operations as well, including fabrication of new floodgates for a recent modernization project on the Highland Lakes dams and a canal check gate automation and rehabilitation project in the Gulf Coast Irrigation Division. The visit will continue to LCRA’s Lakeside Irrigation Division in Eagle Lake, showcasing a laser-leveled field in Eagle Lake and lunch at the Lakeside Pumping Plant. Visits to LCRA’s nearby Garwood Irrigation Division will highlight a project to install standardized water delivery structures throughout the canal system, enabling volumetric measurement and billing of water use.
The tour will begin at 8:00 a.m. and return to the DoubleTree by 5:00 p.m.
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Guest Program
The Guest Registration Fee of $175 includes the reception on Tuesday evening, continental breakfasts on Wednesday and Thursday, reception and dinner on Wednesday, the Tuesday field tour and the Friday field tour with lunch.
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Registration
In addition to the Conference Technical Sessions, Poster Session and Exhibition, the Participant Registration Fee includes:
- field tours Tuesday morning and Friday
- lunches on Tuesday through Friday
- reception on Tuesday
- reception and dinner on Wednesday
- continental breakfast on Wednesday and Thursday
- Conference Proceedings
To receive the Early Registration Rate, you must register by March 23. The Late Registration Fee applies to registrations received after March 23 and on-site registrations. The Registration Fee can be pre-paid by check or credit card (VISA, MasterCard or Discover) or purchase order. Reduced registration fees are offered to USCID Members and to authors. Online Registration Form.
Cancellation Policy: To receive a refund, USCID must receive notice of cancellation by the end of business on March 27. All refunds are subject to a $25 processing fee. After March 27, the registration fee is not refundable, but substitutions are acceptable.
Please note: USCID will not waive the Conference registration fee, nor provide funding or scholarships for participants to attend the Conference. USCID will not seek funding from donors or other sources for participants.
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Continuing Education Units
CEUs offered through Colorado State University will be available for Conference participants. Information will be available at the Conference.
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Conference Planning Committee
Gerald A. Gibbens, General Chairman, MWH Americas, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado
Khaled M. Bali, University of California, Davis, Holtville, California
Al Blair, AWBlair Engineering, Austin, Texas
Joe E. Blankenship, Natel Energy, Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona
Mike Cook, SonTek/YSI Incorporated, San Diego, California
Guy Fipps, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
John McLeod, Lower Colorado River Authority, Austin, Texas
Dustin Mortensen, Freese and Nichols, Inc., Austin, Texas
Nora Mullarkey, Lower Colorado River Authority, Austin, Texas
Stacy Pandey, Lower Colorado River Authority, Austin, Texas
Comer A. Tuck, Jr., Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas
Victor M. Vasquez, Freese and Nichols, Inc., Austin, Texas
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