The Iowa Water Conference and our conference planning partners invite water professionals and researchers to submit conference abstracts addressing how individuals and communities evaluate and protect Iowa’s precious natural water sources. We are actively recruiting for breakout sessions and panel sessions.

Focus areas for the 2026 conference:

• Integrated Watershed & Agricultural Solutions
  • Collaborative track linking crop systems, livestock, precision ag, conservation BMP’s and watershed goals. 
• Water Quality & Public Health
  • Addresses major and emerging water quality challenges in NW Iowa drinking water-from contaminants (PFAS, nitrate, HAB toxins, and antibiotic resistance) to human health implications. Sessions focus on monitoring, treatment, communication, and funding. 
• Water Quantity: Flood & Drought Resilience
  • Climate extremes are reshaping NW Iowa’s hydrology; this track explores resilience in relation to both flood and drought concerns in Iowa and the innovative solutions.
• Nature-Based & Green Infrastructure for All Communities
  • Practical, scalable nature-based and stormwater solutions for towns and cities. Explore green infrastructure designs—from small-scale main street enhancements to large urban corridors—that improve water quality and reduce runoff while fitting community budgets.
• Water Recreation, Tourism, and Economic Vitality
  • Explores the connections between water quality, recreation infrastructure, tourism development, and local economic resilience. Sessions will highlight tools, policies, and partnerships that help Iowa communities leverage water-based recreation while safeguarding public health and long-term resource sustainability.
• Fisheries, Wildlife & Aquatic Ecosystem Health
  • This focus area connects water quality, habitat, and hydrologic conditions to fisheries, wildlife, and overall aquatic ecosystem health. Sessions explore how watershed practices, lake management, wastewater and stormwater systems, and recreational pressure influence fish populations, aquatic life, waterfowl, and habitat quality—while also supporting recreational fishing, tourism, and conservation goals across NW Iowa. 

The Iowa Water Conference is a unique opportunity for water, climate, urban, agriculture, and natural resource professionals to collaborate and exchange ideas. We welcome submissions from researchers, practitioners, and advocates who actively contribute to advancing water solutions in Iowa and around the Midwest.

Join us in Okoboji, Iowa in September 2026 as we explore one of Iowa’s most valuable natural resources.

Presentation Options

• Keynote presentation (45-minute, full conference audience)
• Breakout presentation (30-minute, small classroom session in a themed track)
• Panel presentation (60-minute, brief introduction with discussion among presenters and session attendees)

Information Regarding Co-Presenters

For the abstract submission, please enter information requested for individuals co-presenting for any of the above presentation options. Co-authors (i.e., participants in the project/research but not presenting) should *not* be listed in the submission.

Presenters are welcome to acknowledge co-authors or participants in the project/research at the conference.

Session Set Up

Each room will be equipped with:

• A laptop
• Projector and screen
• One podium
• Microphone
• Classroom-style seating
• Additional materials/equipment will be the responsibility of the presenter to bring.

Communication
To receive notifications and updates, please ensure emails from frescoln@iastate.edu and messages from Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit (CMT) are not blocked or routed to the Spam Folder.

Please spell out all acronyms and abbreviations at least once in the submitted text.

Proposal Submission
Proposals will be submitted through the Microsoft Conference Management Toolkit. No submissions will be accepted via email to conference organizers. Please read the instructions below to submit. Incomplete submissions or submissions sent to Iowa Water Conference staff or planning committee members will be eliminated from consideration.

• Go to https://cmt3.research.microsoft.com/IWC2026/Submission/Index
• Select “Create Account” and fill out the requested information to register
• Once you are logged in, follow the prompts to create your submission
• Select “Create New Submission”
• Select “Presentations 2026” for presentation submission
• Enter the title and abstract
• Select “Add” under the Authors section to add additional co-presenters, if any***
• Select applicable Subject Areas
• Answer additional questions, if any
• Select “Submit.”

*** For the abstract submission, please register individuals co-presenting at the conference for any of the above presentation options. Those not presenting should not be listed in the submission, even if they are co-authors of the project or paper.

The Microsoft CMT service was used for managing the peer-reviewing process for this conference. This service was provided for free by Microsoft and they bore all expenses, including costs for Azure cloud services as well as software development and support.