Call for Abstracts
The Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) is now accepting abstracts for the 2026 National Watershed & Stormwater Conference. This three-day event brings together experts, practitioners, and community leaders to explore solutions that enhance the health and resilience of our watersheds in a changing world. We invite professionals from across the land and water resources spectrum—including engineers, scientists, planners, government officials, non-profit and community leaders, and educators—to share research, practical tools, and field-tested strategies.
The National Stormwater & Watershed Conference's Core Theme for 2026 is
Building Resilient Watersheds: Advancing Innovation and Partnership in Rapidly Changing Environments
Extreme weather and rapidly changing environments are impacting every region of the U.S., putting pressure on our infrastructure, ecosystems, and communities. The 2026 conference is your opportunity to be part of the solution as we center questions on how we can adapt infrastructure for extreme weather, advance green infrastructure solutions, and engage communities and regional partners for equitable long-term resilience. This year's program highlights actionable tools for implementing solutions that strengthen watershed and stormwater resilience. With an emphasis on practical applications, this event provides a platform for sharing replicable strategies, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and accelerating progress toward clean water and resilience goals.
The selection process includes reviews conducted by the Conference’s Technical Planning Advisory Committee, CWP’s conference team and expert staff. Presentations are for educational and professional growth purposes, not sales or marketing pitches. Those who are seeking to promote products or services, are invited to partner with CWP to sponsor this conference event (learn more here).
Contact events@cwp.org with questions.
Presentation
Presentation time slots are 30 minutes, which includes approximately 25 minutes for the presentation and 5 minutes for questions from the audience.
Poster Presentation
A Poster Session will be held during an evening reception on Tuesday. Presenters will present their posters and lead a discussion with small groups. Students are encouraged to apply for poster presentations. Poster size: 36” x 48”.
Workshop
Workshops will be allocated 1.0 to 1.5 hours including time for questions. Workshops can consist of either panel discussions on a specific topic, or a presentation with at least one interactive exercise. 3–5 speakers are recommended for each workshop.
We welcome abstract submission that align with both the 2026 Core Conferene Theme - Building Resilient Watersheds: Advancing Innovation and Partnership in Rapidly Changing Environments - and one or more of the Key Topics described below.
Building Resilience & Mitigating Risks
Explore tools and strategies for preparing watersheds and stormwater systems for extreme weather, uncertain future conditions, sea level rise, wildfires, and other climate-driven challenges.
Topical Focus Areas include:
- Modeling of droughts, precipitation extremes, storm and flood events, andsea level rise
- Resilient design for coastal and riparian communities
- Post-disaster watershed recovery, rehabilitation, and resilience
- Hazard mitigation mapping and decision support tools
- Adapting infrastructure for future climate conditions
- Flood awareness and mitigation education
- Community managed disaster risk reduction
Innovation in Stormwater Infrastructure & Nature-Based Solutions
Share advances in both green and gray infrastructure, restoration, and nature-based strategies that improve water quality, enhance ecosystems, and deliver multiple benefits for people and the environment.
Topical Focus Areas include:
- Green and gray infrastructure integration and innovation including hybrid solutions
- Updating design standards for changing weather patterns and greater resilience
- Stream and wetland restoration, living shorelines, and dam removal
- Green Infrastructure innovations in urban, suburban, rural, and agricultural settings
- Quantifying and communicating co-benefits
- Advancement in technology and using AI tools
Policies, Programs, & Practical Tools
Highlight effective policy and programmatic approaches to meeting stormwater regulations and achieving clean water goals at all levels of government.
Topical Focus Areas include:
- Stormwater funding strategies, stormwater utilities, and cost-effective program management
- Effective operation, maintenance, and replacement (OMR) programs for Structural Control Measures (SCM), Best Management Practices (BMP) and green stormwater infrastructure
- Updating/adopting local municipal stormwater regulations to address future conditions
- MS4 compliance, including Six Minimum Control Measures and Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE) tools
- Intergovernmental MS4 collaborations and TMDL progress
Integrated Watershed Management
Explore collaborative, cross-sector approaches to watershed planning and management that address infrastructure challenges, resource limitations, and partnerships across public, private, physical, political, and institutional boundaries.
Topical Focus Areas include:
- Urban infrastructure challenges and solutions, including maintaining aging infrastructure and stormwater systems
- Watershed planning across urban, suburban, rural, and agricultural sectors
- Interdisciplinary or multi-jurisdictional partnerships, university collaborations
- Private community/HOA owned stormwater management systems
- Management techniques to address water quantity as well as water quality
- Maximizing limited capacity, funding, and resources for watershed management
Equitable Community Engagement & Communication
Focus on people-centered practices that ensure inclusive watershed management and foster long-term stewardship through communication, outreach, and workforce initiatives.
Topical Focus Areas include:
- Public engagement through grassroots watershed groups and volunteer programs
- Training and workforce development programs, and green job creation
- Communication kits and messaging resources for municipalities to convey the benefits of stormwater management to residents, developers, and business owners
- Reaching and engaging traditionally underserved communities and/or communities traditionally excluded from environmental planning
- Collaborative creation of solutions developed with community stakeholders in an integrated watershed management process
- Social science insights and behavior change strategies to foster watershed stewardship
Regional Spotlight: Stormwater Management for U.S. Southeast Coastal Plains
Led by the Center for Watershed Protection, the Coastal Stormwater Center (CSC) of the Southeast is one of four Centers of Excellence for Stormwater Control Infrastructure Technologies established to advance critical stormwater solutions across the country. Presentations will assist with the development of the CSC to improve stormwater management in the Southeast Coastal Plains Region by investigating innovative technologies and management strategies from similar regions.
Focal Topic Areas include:
- Coastal Inundation: Sea level rise, tidal influences, saltwater intrusion
- Unique Regional Considerations: Flat topography, tidal influences, local ecology
- Policy & Funding Management: urban development, limited resources, funding mechanisms
Abstract submissions should clearly describe the research, analysis, project, or program in no more than 350 words and must include the following:
- Title (max 8 words) – The title should be clear, concise, and informative. It should reflect the core conference theme and/or key topic(s) of relevance and attract interest. Ideally 8 words or less. Use sentence case for the title.
- Summary (max 50 words) – The summary should be ~2 sentences long at 50 words or less. The goal of the summary should be a brief description of the presentation’s focus and what knowledge, skills, or information the attendees can expect to receive from the presentation.
- Abstract (max 350 words) - The abstract should include and clearly articulate the following:
- Background: Briefly introduce the topic, context, and objectives of the research, analysis, project, or program.
- Why is this important? What key issue(s) or problem(s) does this address? And how will it impact future stormwater and watershed management work?
- Approach and Methods: Describe the methodology or approach taken. Depending on the topic, this could include research methods, analysis techniques, or project or program frameworks.
- Summarize the key results or insights and findings: This should convey what was learned or discovered through the work or how a given project, analysis, program, or process works, or actionable details relevant to real-work implementation.
- Conclusion and Implications: Highlight the conclusions or implications, focusing on real-world impacts and implementation. Explain the work's impact and how it contributes to stormwater or watershed management. Depending on the topic, conclude with the current status of the project, etc.
- Background: Briefly introduce the topic, context, and objectives of the research, analysis, project, or program.
- Key Topic and Topical Focus Area(s): Identify 1-2 Key Topic Areas and an associated Topical Focus Area that best describes your presentation content and subject matter.
- Relevance: How does your abstract align with the Core Conference Theme and your selected Key Topic(s).
Key Considerations for Abstract Submissions
- Focus and Tone: Please maintain a focus on industry relevance. Our goal is to facilitate knowledge sharing, meaningful discussions, and the advancement of watershed health and resilience.
- Avoid direct sales pitches: While we encourage submissions related to the benefits of tools, programs and services, direct sales pitches are not permitted. Those interested in marketing or promoting services are encouraged to consider conference sponsorship opportunities.
- Accuracy of Content: You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of your abstract and presentation materials. All content, including any spelling, grammatical, or scientific errors, will be reproduced exactly as submitted.
- Language Requirements: All abstracts must be submitted in English, and final presentations must be conducted in English.
- Online Portal: Abstracts must be submitted through the conference’s designated submission portal. Submissions will not be accepted by email.
- Abstract Format: Abstracts must be submitted as PDFs. Please include only the abstract title as the file name (e.g., "GSI Refresher.pdf").
- Submission Confirmation: Upon submission, the submitting author will receive a confirmation email. If no confirmation is received, check your spam folder or contact the conference team at events@cwp.org.
Submissions will be reviewed by the Conference Technical Planning Advisory Committee and CWP staff based on the following process and criteria. These criteria ensure that each selected abstract contributes to an informative, cohesive, and dynamic program that addresses the conference theme and subtopics.
- Anonymous Review: Technical abstracts will be reviewed anonymously. Authors should avoid including identifying information within the abstract text. We highly recommend submitting high-quality abstracts, as abstracts will be reviewed anonymously.
- Non-Anonymous Review: Workshops/Panel sessions will not be reviewed anonymously.
- Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for abstract submissions will focus on the following key areas to ensure each presentation aligns with the conference's objectives and provides value for attendees:
- Relevance to the Conference: This ensures the conference remains focused, cohesive, and impactful to the enhancement of watershed health and resilience. Our goal is to provide a forum for diverse and high-quality contributions that increase communities’ resiliency amid numerous threats to our water resources.
- Clarity of Content and Structure: Abstracts should clearly outline the proposed presentation's purpose, approach, key findings, results, recommendations, and conclusions. Clarity is essential to communicating complex information effectively and ensuring that each submission is accessible and comprehensible to a diverse audience.
- Scientific and Technical Soundness: Does the abstract demonstrate credibility, evidence-based insights, and sound methodology? Abstracts must present well-supported scientific research, programs, or projects that contribute to advancements in watershed and community resiliency, ensuring relevance and maintaining the conference's high standards.
- Industry Impact: Abstracts should clearly demonstrate their potential to significantly contribute to the resilience and advancement of watershed and stormwater management efforts. Submissions should highlight innovative applications, compelling use cases, or solutions to key industry challenges. The work should showcase a meaningful impact on driving industry progress and addressing critical needs.
- Acknowledgment of Criteria: By submitting an abstract, you confirm that you have read and understood all the criteria outlined above. Submissions that do not adhere to guidelines may be declined without review.
The Deadline for Abstract Submissions is
Friday, October 31, 2025 at 11:59pm (ET).
Questions? Contact us at events@cwp.org.
Whova will once again serve as our official conference app for this event.