Voting for EWRI Vice President

Voting for the FY2010 EWRI Governing Board Vice President began on Monday, June 15, 2009. The official nominees for this year are William F. Ritter, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE and Daniel L. Thomas, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, F.ASCE. Voting is available until August 13, 2009, and the winner will serve as the EWRI Vice President for FY2010, EWRI President-Elect for FY2011 and EWRI President for FY2012. EWRI-only and ASCE/EWRI members should expect to receive an email with information on how to vote, as well as log-in credentials. Paper ballots are also being mailed. You may vote only once. If you do not receive this notification by June 20, 2009, please contact member@asce.org. (Student members may not participate in the vote.)

June 10, 2009

Idaho Considers Reviving Teton Dam

The Idaho Department of Water Resources plans to study ways to add 100,000 acre-feet of water storage in east Idaho. The study will consider rebuilding the Teton Dam, which failed in 1976, killing 11 people and 18,000 livestock. The state plans to split the cost of the $800,000 study with the Bureau of Reclamation. The Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)/The Associated Press

June 4, 2009

Study: Climate Change Could Displace 78% of Texas County

Climate change that causes sea levels to rise could displace 78% of households in Galveston County, Texas. Climate change could also cause $12 billion in damage to the county's infrastructure over the next 100 years, according to a new report. The report called for "long-term sustainable action" to mitigate the effects of climate change on the coastal region. American City Business Journals/Houston

EWRI Members Encouraged to Attend the Co-Sponsored 33rd IAHR Congress

The 33rd International Association of Hydraulic Engineering & Research (IAHR) Congress is now accepting registrations for the conference, taking place August 9-14, 2009, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. EWRI invites members and non-members alike to take advantage of the insightful technical sessions, exciting keynote speakers, and delightful social and networking opportunities at the 33rd IAHR Congress. This event is one of the most prominent environmental and water resource-related conferences in the entire world. To register, or learn more about your options at the Congress, visit www.iahr2009.org.

Also available at the Congress website is information on Short Courses, Technical Tours, the annaul Key Social Event, and a variety of other information pertaining to the technical and logistical aspects of the event. All of this, and more, can be found in the 2009 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress Preliminary Program, which is now available for your information. Click here to view the PDF version of the document.

EWRI looks forward to seeing many of you at the Congress this August!

May 27, 2009

Corps Makes Progress on New Orleans Flood Protection

New Orleans' system of pumps and floodgates is ready for hurricane season, which starts on Monday, according to the Army Corps of Engineers. Meanwhile, the Corps said contractors are now working on a storm surge barrier. They had hoped to complete parts of the barrier ahead of hurricane season. The entire $14.6 billion flood protection system is expected to be completed by 2011. USA Today/The Associated Press