Sixth Annual Watershed Conference: Feb. 10 & 17, 2023

Implementers are engineers, designers, and others in charge of incorporating MS4 requirements into local stormwater projects and features. Sessions will focus on technical requirements in the permit, existing tools, and mapping.

Policymakers are elected officials, planners, attorneys, and others that must devise and adopt new plans and ordinances to address stormwater pollution. Sessions will focus on policy tools, recommendations, and regional approaches. 

Community members are neighbors, organizations, businesses, nonprofit partners, and others who support policymakers and implementers. They can also participate in voluntary actions to protect watersheds on a local level. Sessions will focus on community buy-in, voluntary actions for your home, and how to get involved locally.

On Feb. 17, Shawn LaTourette, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, will discuss a myriad of ways New Jersey supports water quality improvements through targeted funding opportunities. Hear about important funding programs designed to help our local partners reduce flooding and improve local water quality, including existing programs and a brand-new funding opportunity for New Jersey towns.  

Session descriptions start on page 3.

ACCESS THE AGENDA

Session descriptions start on page 3.

ACCESS THE AGENDA

Join us at the end of the day on February 10 for a poster session. The poster session is an opportunity for attendees to engage with other field professionals, local leaders, and community members with their efforts and projects. We invite all who are interested (i.e., students, professionals, community members, etc.). Check out more details in the Call for Posters.

Access the Call for Posters Flyer

Issues of flooding and impaired water quality are not contained within the boundaries of any single municipality. To address these complex issues, municipalities, policymakers, engineers, and community members must work together to create a stormwater management system best suited for the watershed’s natural geography, as opposed to its political boundaries. The MS4 permit is an opportunity for New Jersey municipalities to go beyond the minimum standards – not just to fix current issues but to mitigate and adapt to future impacts from climate change.  

We provide reduced or free registrations to those with financial need. 

One of the goals of The Watershed Institute is to be inclusive and equitable for those who want to learn about what they can do to help improve health, access, and stewardship of waterways in New Jersey. We also recognize that low-income communities often feel exacerbated impacts of overdevelopment and stormwater pollution. These populations also tend to have less access to resources and funding to address these issues. This scholarship helps ensure that those most impacted by the issues have the same opportunity to join the table.

APPLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP HERE

You will be contacted by Pri Oliveira ([email protected]) with a decision regarding your scholarship request. If approved, you will be provided with a scholarship code and instructions on how to register.

Your sponsorship supports our mission to keep water clean, safe, and healthy.

This is a great opportunity to get your name out in front of hundreds of attendees including municipal leaders, engineers, watershed advocates, businesses, and community members who will need to work together across municipal boundaries to solve New Jersey’s environmental problems. Your sponsorship will help defray conference expenses and allow us to keep registration fees low. It will also provide scholarships for students and others requiring financial aid. A table will be reserved for all sponsors who support the conference at the $1,000 level or above.

To become a sponsor, please reach out to Pri Oliveira, The Watershed Institute’s Outreach Specialist, at [email protected] with the subject line: [Watershed Conference Sponsor]. You can also call 609-737-3735 ext. 27 with any questions.

CLICK HERE TO SEE BENEFITS TO SPONSORSHIP

POND PROTECTOR

Rain Garden Guardian benefits, plus:
• (1) Additional registration (Total: 4)
• Company name, logo, and link on conference website page
• Full page advertisement in electronic program booklet
• Announcement of your sponsorship and company at the Watershed Conference
• (3) Social media announcements about your company prior to the conference

CREEK CAPTAIN

Rain Garden Guardian benefits, plus:
• (2) Additional registrations (Total: 3)
• Company name, logo, and link on conference website page
• Half page advertisement in electronic program booklet

RAIN GARDEN GUARDIAN

• Full access to conference sessions and meals for (1) representative
• Company name, logo, and link on all conference outreach emails
• Company name and logo on program agenda

NONPROFIT EXHIBITOR

Same as Rain Garden Guardian benefits:
• Full access to conference sessions and meals for (1) representative
• Company name, logo, and link on all conference outreach emails
• Company name and logo on program agenda

Here are some simple instructions on how to pay by purchase order (PO). Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Step 1: Select the option that you will be paying by purchase order in the registration form. Use the ‘pay later’ option at checkout to bypass immediate payment.

Step 2: Matt Bondar, The Watershed Institute’s Bookkeeper, will send you, and any contacts indicated, a follow-up email with an invoice, further PO and check writing instructions, and some useful documents typically requested such as our business registration, tax ID, and 501 c3. Please reach out to us if you do not receive that email within a week following registration.

Step 3: Follow the PO instructions and email a PO to Matt Bondar at [email protected]. Matt will send you a signed copy of the purchase order back.

Step 4: Send a check to The Watershed Institute for the amount on the PO. Make sure to include the invoice number and the full names of all registrants so that we can process the payment in a timely manner.

ACCESS A COPY OF THE PURCHASE ORDER INSTRUCTIONS HERE

Note: This document and attachments will be included in the follow-up email from Matt after you register.

CEUs Package Cost: $35

The Watershed Institute is a certified NJ Professional Engineer (PE) and Continuing Legal Education (CLE) provider. We will also be applying to provide credits for Certified Floodplain Managers, Architects, Landscape Architects, Planners, and more for applicable sessions. There is an additional cost and basic attendance requirements to receive CEU certificates. The $35 additional charge covers all CEU costs, and attendees can pursue as many as they want and are possible. During the event, attendees who wish to pursue CEUs must:

1) Fully attend the sessions they want credit for (virtual attendance tracking)

2) Sign into sessions when they start and sign out before they leave the room (in-person attendance tracking)

3) Complete any necessary verification forms and/or feedback forms (dependent on the type of CEU)

We will update this tab with more information as we confirm available credits for applicable sessions. 

Feb. 10 – Understanding Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) for Public Officials and Implementers
Feb. 10 – Ordinances
Feb. 10 – Regional Approaches to Stormwater Management
Feb. 17 – Stormwater Utilities for Local Officials

Credits are being obtained through partnership with the NJ-AWRA:

All sessions in the Implementers Track offer 1 PE

• Feb. 10 – Understanding Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) for Public Officials and Implementers (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)
  
• Feb. 10 – Ordinances (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)
• Feb. 10 – Regional Approaches to Stormwater Management (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)
• Feb. 17 – Stormwater Utilities for Local Officials (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)
• Feb. 17 – Understanding Watersheds (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)
• Feb. 17 – Optimal Watershed Improvement Planning: Collaborating Across Sectors to Map Robust Hydrology Networks (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)
• Feb. 17 – Case Study on Regional Approaches (CM | 1.25) (SR | 1)

Find us the Watershed Conference on APA