Jan 23-25, 2017
Water for Texas 2017 Highlights and Presentations
Thank you to all the attendees, presenters, sponsors, and special guests who made Water for Texas 2017 a successful event! The TWDB was proud to host all of you at this important gathering.
On this page you’ll find photos and available presentations from the conference.
From all of us at the TWDB, thanks again. We hope to see you next time!
TWDB Board Member Kathleen Jackson speaks with an attendee before the Welcome Reception on Jan. 23.
Chairman Bech Bruun welcomes everyone to the reception on Jan. 23.
The Interactive State Water Plan kiosk enables users to explore the plan by region at the touch of a finger.
Chairman Bruun moderates "The Future of Flood: What's on the Horizon" panel with Jessica Baker, Texas Floodplain Management Association; Dr. Robert Mace, TWDB; Mark Null, National Weather Service – West Gulf River Forecast Center; and Don Ferguson, City of Wimberley.
The Visual Texas display allows for immersive navigation through 3-D landscapes displayed through Google Earth.
Exploring with Visual Texas
TWDB Board Member Peter Lake chats between sessions during a meet-and-greet.
Comptroller Glenn Hegar delivers remarks during the Jan. 24 luncheon.
Sponsored exhibits were open throughout the conference.
A packed room for the "Eye on the Future: Policy Issues for the 85th Legislative Session" general session panel moderated by Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith. Representative Lyle Larson, Representative Eddie Lucio III, and Senator Charles Perry discuss water policy challenges and solutions and the need for innovation.
Evan Smith, Representative Lyle Larson, Representative Eddie Lucio III, and Senator Charles Perry during the legislative panel
Chairman Bech Bruun and previous TWDB Board members in attendance for the Jan. 24 Awards Banquet
Representative Will Metcalf (center) accepts the All-Star Rain Catcher Award on behalf of Leadership Montgomery County for its Harvesting the Rain project.
Enviro Water Minerals and Norris Leal's "El Paso Full Recovery Desalination" project receives the 2017 Innovative Water Supply Award in the Technology category.
The City of Lago Vista was named the winner of the Innovative Water Supply Award in the Conservation category for its ground storage tank mixing/trihalomethane removal project.
Texas A&M AgriLife's Water University was named the winner of the Innovative Water Supply's Education category.
Roy Spence, co-founder and chairman of the creative agency GSD&M and co-founder and CEO of the Purpose Institute, delivers a powerful keynote presentation about purpose during the Awards Banquet on Jan. 24.
Board Member Kathleen Jackson thanks International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao for delivering keynote remarks at the Jan. 25 general session.
Playing in the Virtual Reality Sandbox located in the TWDB Interactive Room.
Printing a map using the TNRIS map plotter in the TWDB Interactive Room
Dr. Caroline Russell, Carollo Engineers; Dr. Ellen McDonald, Alan Plummer Associates, Inc.; Marlo Wanielista Berg, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality; and Jeff Mosher, Water Environment and Reuse Foundation, discuss direct potable reuse during a panel hosted by Board Member Peter Lake.
Enjoying one of many breakout sessions
Dr. Tim Loftus leads a panel discussion between Peter Yolles, WaterSmart Software; Mary Ann Dickinson, Alliance for Water Efficiency; Senator Kip Averitt, Averitt and Associates; and Carole Baker, Texas Water Foundation, about changing conservation behaviors.
Lieutenant Governor of Texas Dan Patrick delivers keynote remarks at the Jan. 25 luncheon.
Lieutenant Governor Patrick speaks about the state's economic and population growth and how water fits into the state budget.
Available Presentations
Deepwater Horizon Funding: Restoring the Gulf Coast
Water Loss, Use, and Conservation Data: Integration of Online Reporting
Flood 101: Understanding Flood Preparedness, Planning, and Response
Upgrade Your Toolkit: Water Loss Tools, Tips, and Strategies
Worth the Investment: Financial Assistance Turns Plans into Projects
Groundwater 101: Understanding the Water Beneath Your Feet
Executing State Water Plan Projects Through the SWIFT Program
Bonds 101: Demystifying the Bond Issuance Process
Alternative Treatment Methods: Benefits of Thinking Outside the Box
Show Me the Money! Nuts, Bolts & Lessons Learned of the TWDB Application Process
Alternative Project Delivery: What's the Best Option?
- Jace Houston, San Jacinto River Authority: SJRA’s Recent Success with Alternative Project Delivery
- David R. Townsend, Fort Worth Water Department: CMAR as Alternative Procurement
Partnership Based Project Delivery Approaches: Risks and Rewards
- Jeff Hughes, Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina: Risks and Rewards of Alternative Water Project Delivery Methods
- Samuel Franco, Center for Alternative Finance and Procurement
HydromodelHost Demonstration
Water Data Interactive: Groundwater Data Viewer and Major Aquifer 3D Viewer Demonstration
Using the Latest Technology to Predict Flooding
- David Maidment, Center for Research in Water Resources at the University of Texas at Austin: Applying the National Water Model in Texas
- Harry Evans, Center for Research in Water Resources at the University of Texas at Austin
- TWDB staff: Lidar Initiatives and Coordination in Texas
TexMesonet, TexasFlood.org, Geospatial Emergency Management Support System (GEMSS) Demonstration
Surface Water Modeling: Is This a New Drought of Record?
- Jon Albright, Freese and Nichols, Inc.: Drought of Record. What Does It Mean?
- Bob Brandes: Water Availability Models-Where We Are Today
What's Old is New Again: Rainwater Harvesting