The Mohawk Watershed Research Group at Union College is hosting the second symposium on the physical aspects of the Mohawk River Watershed.  The scientific program, and timing of theme sessions will be determined by the composition of abstracts received.  The meeting will highlight recent and on-going work in the watershed during oral and poster presentations and the technical sessions will be followed by a banquet with a keynote address that evening. Program and abstracts for the 2009 Symposium are HERE.

While there are many scientific and engineering aspects of the Mohawk watershed that are important, the following themes are central to the conference focus:

1. Water quality, including nutrient loading, the effects of agriculture and industry on water quality, and contaminant fluxes;
2. Floods, including flood frequency, causes of flooding, and flood mitigation strategies;
3. Habitats, including biocomplexity, invasive species, analysis of benthic communities, and the distribution of fish and other vertebrates; 
4. Sediment yield, including transport and deposition through the watershed, bank erosion and potential hazards, slope processes, and sediment budget;
5. Impact of watershed processes on infrastructure, including bridges, dams, locks, canals, and strategies for floodplain restoration;
6. Water rights, including issues that that explore the balance between municipal water use and how this might conflict with demands by power generation, industry, drilling, ecosystem management, and maintenance of sustainable ecosystems. 
7. Synoptic evaluations of the watershed including basin-wide overviews and compilations using GIS, databases, and other methods of integrating and analyzing regionally significant data.
8. Water budget, including aspects of climate change, precipitation patterns, and weather-related phenomena.

Voluntered oral presentations will be 15 minutes, with two minutes for questions and speaker transition.  Posters should be 48” wide or less in order to fill the provided space (vertical length is less important). 

FORMAT and ABSTRACTS

Submitted contributions in the form of extended abstracts will be required for either oral or poster presentations. The extended abstract volume will be available to registered participants at the meeting and it will then be available here as a downloadable PDF after the meeting.  All presentations, whether oral or poster, are required to have an accompanying abstract that must pass review.

Abstract due date for talks and posters: 1 February 2010

Registration has not started. Pre-registration for this meeting is required. Badges will be provided at registration, and are required for entrance to the meeting.

Fees: Professional $35 (conference and evening banquet; Students $15 - please mail check after you register - see link below). No walk ons will be accepted, pre-registration for this meeting is required because space in the meeting hall is limited.

ACCOMMODATIONS

The Holiday Inn on 100 Nott Terrace and the Days Inn at 167 Nott Terrace are wthin easy walking distance to the Olin Center on the Union College Campus (2 blocks). During the meeting, Dutch Hollow, a small campus eatery, will be open for lunch and breakfast.

PARKING and CAMPUS ORIENTATION

Plenty of parking will be available on campus. This meeting is during exam period, so the campus will have few students. Download this map for parking areas that will be open and available ("P"), and note that the Olin Center is #35 on the map. Detailed directions to the Campus are here.

Program co-Chairs:

Jaclyn Cockburn, Department of Geology, Olin Building, Union College 807 Union ST Schenectady, NY 12308-2311, USA +1, 518-388-8015(Office) +1, 518-388-6770 (main office) +1, 518-388-6417 (fax) Email: cockburj @union.edu (remove space after name).

John Garver, Department of Geology, Olin Building, Union College 807 Union ST Schenectady, NY 12308-2311, USA +1, 518-388-6770 (Office) +1, 518-388-6770 (main office) +1, 518-388-6417 (fax) Email: garverj @union.edu (remove space after name).

All rights reserved. No part of the document (including photos) can be copied and/or redistributed, electronically or otherwise, without written permission from: Chair, Geology Department, Union College, Schenectady NY, 12308-2311, USA.

First Posted: 21 September 2009

Last Revised: 29 September 2009