Don’t miss the premier groundwater conference of 2019, GRA’s Western Groundwater Congress!
Download the Full Agenda
The following tracks include technical presentations and panels with world class speakers bringing innovations and learning in the following areas:
Water Resources
- Western States Water Issues
- Replenishment
- Groundwater Law Hot Topics
SGMA
- Data & Tools
- SGMA Modeling – Focus on Climate Change
- Metering and Monitoring
Contaminants
- Environmental Cleanup and Real Estate
- Vapor Intrusion
- Emerging Contaminants - PFAS
Special Topics
- Agricultural Groundwater Use
- SGMA Projects and Actions
- Big Data
Hands on Workshops
Wednesday September 18th
Extreme Makeover: Groundwater Presentations Edition
This workshop will focus on easy and implementable tips and tricks to help you better understand your audience, maximize your communication assets, adapt your presentation, and revitalize your slides and delivery.
Watering the Weed
In this interactive session, cannabis leaders will dissect the current issues related to cannabis and water management in the state, weighing in on everything from licensing regulations to water supply assessments, CEQA to SGMA, and more.
Sampling and Analysis for PFAs Compounds
Accurate quantification of PFAS in soil, vapor, and groundwater samples for PFAS requires particular attention and diligence because of the large number of individual compounds comprising PFAS and the extremely low quantification limits – sometimes as low as single digit parts-per-trillion (PPT) -- that are required. Conference attendees who are concerned about proper collection and analysis of soil, vapor and groundwater samples shouldn’t miss the PFAS Sampling and Analysis Workshop. This first-ever, California-focused workshop will be led by California and national PFAS sampling and analysis leaders.
RSVP TO A WORKSHOP TODAY!
Unwind and connect at Casino Night!
Take a chance with GRA! This year’s President’s Reception features casino night. Bet your stars with WGC bucks to win tickets for raffle prizes. Roulette, craps and blackjack await!
Get “Well-Connected” through
Networking time
Have you heard an answer to the question “how’s it going” aside from “BUSY!” in the last year with your groundwater colleagues? We thought not, and as groundwater industry professionals ourselves, we hear you. For that reason, we’ve built in extra networking and decompression time within the WGC schedule. Use our longer networking lunch to catch up with colleagues. Take advantage of longer break sessions to check back in with the office. Utilize the extra space in the Grand Ballroom or patios for a quick project meeting with your team that is also onsite at the WGC. Take advantage of the time to learn more about other conference goers, expand your network, and grow your team.
Keynote Speaker
Talk Nerdy to Me, Strategies for Successful Science Communication
presented by Melissa Marshall
Have you ever tried to talk about a new technical project, only to be met with blank stares from your audience? Are you tired of the lifeless, text heavy, bulleted slides that make up most presentations? Did you ever have a slam-dunk winner of a technical proposal go in front of a public audience only to be rejected because they didn't "get it"? Join our keynote speaker at the Western Groundwater Congress, scientific presentations expert Melissa Marshall, to learn some practical strategies to immediately transform your technical presentations! Go from blank stares to buy in with your next talk.
Launch into the new frontier of PFAs and emerging contaminants
We have all been hearing a lot about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment. Due to their unique physical and chemical properties (e.g., surfactant, oil-repelling, water-repelling), PFAS have been extensively manufactured and used worldwide for decades. Dubbed by the media as "forever chemicals," PFAS is a group of more than 3,000 man-made fluorinated chemicals, the number of which complicates investigations of those compounds significantly. Some PFAS are environmentally stable, mobile, persistent, and bioaccumulate. PFAS compounds are found in many industrial products such as waterproof coatings, non-stick coatings, and firefighting foams (e.g., Aqueous Film-Forming Foam Concentrates or "AFFF").
California is more fortunate than many states because there aren’t many primary manufacturing facilities where PFAS was made. But, there are many industrial sites in California where PFAS was added to products, and landfills where consumer goods containing PFAS were disposed of. And, there are airports and military bases where AFFF has been used in California.
GRA has assembled as excellent group of PFAS experts to speak at the Western Groundwater Congress. This includes representatives from CalEPA who will give an update on the State’s PFAS Phased Investigations of airports and landfills and surrounding drinking water wells.
There will also be a workshop on PFAS Sampling and Analysis on Wednesday afternoon (9/18/2012) where industry experts will describe best practices and issues related to sampling and analyzing environmental samples for PFAS. Instructors of this workshop include the authors of the SWRCB’s new PFAS Sampling Guide.
T-minus four months until January 2020 SGMA deadline
Three full days of SGMA sessions. No sustainability indicators left behind. Top professionals, complex GSAs, legal topics, and implementation, implementation, implementation!
2nd Annual Darcy Dash
Keep your feet as awake as your brain at the WGC, join us for the 2nd Annual Darcy Dash 5k! Celebrate daybreak and shake off the night by meeting colleagues for an early morning dash through the environs of Sacramento and along the historic American River trail. The course starts at the lobby with a safety briefing then heads clockwise following a groundwater gradient in a 5k loop marked in chalk with the Darcy Equation.
RSVP today!
“Bravo! Incredible! Thank you for the countless hours of excellent planning and phenomenal success. Best conference EVER! You are also the friendliest bunch on the planet!"
SURVEY RESPONDENT, 2018 WGC
Text Alerts:
Sign up to receive texts with advance updates, bonus raffle/reception tickets and exclusive prizes at the Second Annual Western Groundwater Congress!
Student Member Opportunities:
Students, are you interested in volunteering your time in exchange for registration, networking with peers and groundwater professionals or even having your resume reviewed by industry professionals? There are so many opportunities for you at the Western Groundwater Congress! Click here for more information and sign ups!
Do you need a little help with your registration or travel fees? Local branches are often able to support student attendance at the WGC. Contact your local branch for more information. If you're not sure who to reach out to, contact Sarah Erck for assistance.
Event Rates and Dates:
| Super Early-Bird (4/1-6/16/19) |
Early Bird |
Registration (8/17-9/10/2019) |
Onsite Registration (space permitting) | |
|
Members
|
$610.00 | $660.00 | $710.00 | $735.00 |
|
Non-Members
|
$780.00 | $830.00 | $880.00 | $905.00 |
|
Student Members
|
$200.00 | $238.00 | $275.50 | $285.50 |
|
Single Day (Members) |
$305.00 | $355.00 | $405.00 | $455.00 |
|
Single Day (Non-Members) |
$396.00 | $446.00 | $496.00 | $546.00 |
|
Single Day (Student Members) |
$100.00 | $130.00 | $180.00 | $210.00 |
|
Speaker |
$423.00 | $473.00 | $523.00 | N/A |
Event Justification Toolkit
By now you know the value of GRA event attendance for keeping up with evolving industry priorities, state-of-the-practice technologies, and emerging strategies for the challenges facing the groundwater world. In addition, GRA events offer fantastic opportunities for networking, learning from vendors exhibiting the latest tools and technologies, and exposure for your organization.
But how do you convey the value of GRA event attendance to your supervisor? Check out GRA's Event Justification Toolkit for tips.
Cancellation
In the event that you are unable to attend, you may cancel your registration and receive a refund minus a $50 processing fee if written notice of your cancellation is received by the GRA office at least 30 days prior to the event date. No refunds will be given for cancellations received after that date.
Transferability
Your registration may be transferred to another individual at any time, at no additional cost to you. Please contact the GRA office to transfer your registration.
If the original registrant paid the discounted member fee but the new registrant is a non-member, the non-member will be invoiced for the difference in fee amounts at the time that the original registration was made.
Contact Sarah Erck at 916-446-3626 or serck@grac.org for more information.