Webinar Library
Upcoming
February 2026
Floodplain Restoration along a Midwestern Big River: The Nature Conservancy’s Illinois River Program – Randy Smith
The Illinois River was historically one of the most productive streams in North America. A variety of anthropogenic changes have degraded the system and fundamentally impacted the River and its floodplain. TNC’s restoration of the 1,000-acre Spunky Bottoms Preserve and nearly 7,000-acre Emiquon Preserve provide demonstration sites for floodplains that were converted to agricultural drainage and levee districts, back to functional floodplain wetlands and reconnected to the Illinois River with novel infrastructure. The Illinois River valley retains substantial ecological capacity, TNC, with partners, hopes to leverage success at these preserves to increase wetland habitat quality and quantity throughout this system.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
12:00 -12:30 PM CT
March 2026
New Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard – Molly Woloszyn
To improve access and usability of drought and water information across the Mississippi River Basin, NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) worked with partners across the region to build a Mississippi River Basin Drought and Water Dashboard. This online platform, hosted on the U.S. Drought Portal (http://drought.gov), provides a suite of curated and customized drought information, tools, and data to support communications and decision-making across the Mississippi River Basin. [This includes real-time maps with easy to understand and downloadable graphics that span historical, current, and future conditions. The Dashboard also provides an educational overview of drought and water management, as well as drought impacts, in the Lower Mississippi River Basin.
Thursday, March 12, 2026
12:00 -12:30 PM CT
Past
January 2026
The CISWRA Project: A Water Quality Report and Call to Action in the Des Moines and Raccoon River Watersheds
Dr. Elliot Anderson presents findings from the Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment (CISWRA), one of the most comprehensive water quality studies ever conducted on the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers. He highlights how the multi-year, county-commissioned research provides a clear “state of our rivers” and outlines practical pathways to improve source water quality for Polk County and the region.
November 2025
The Great River Road: Uniting Communities, Driving Growth
Susanne Thiede-Barnet, Managing Director of the Mississippi River Parkway Commission, focuses on the Great River Road – a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road spanning 10 states along the Mississippi River. She highlights how the Mississippi River Parkway Commission drives tourism, supports local economies, and preserves the cultural and natural heritage of river communities.
October 2025
CTIC – Four Decades of Connecting and Championing Conservation Agriculture
Ryan Heiniger, Executive Director of CTIC, introduces the Conservation Connector — an innovative online platform that helps farmers, ranchers, and advisers easily compare conservation incentive programs and connect with technical support in one place.
September 2025
The Role of Endangered Pallid Sturgeon in Missouri River Recovery
Dr. Robert Jacobson, adjunct professor at the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources and former USGS research scientist, focuses on advancing Missouri River conservation by shifting from pallid sturgeon–driven management toward flood-risk reduction, with species recovery as a secondary benefit.
August 2025
Projecting Climate-induced Changes in River Discharge and Water Temperature Across the Mississippi River Watershed
Jason Knouft, director of Freshwater Policy Institute at NGRREC, discusses model predictions for water temperature and river discharge changes in the Watershed.
July 2025
In a Changing Climate: The Need for Comprehensive Hydrologic and Water Quality Monitoring in the Mississippi River Watershed
Larry Weber, director of Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa, will discuss the need for hydrologic and water quality monitoring data across the Watershed.
June 2025
The Nation’s Inland Waterways: A Washington Perspective
Tracy Zea, President/CEO of Waterways Council, Inc., will discuss the organization’s mission, its legislative priorities, and the critical importance of the nation’s inland waterways to its many beneficiaries.
May 2025
The Importance of the Inland Waterways to Illinois Farmers
Join the executive director of the IL Corn Growers Association and IL Corn Marketing Board, Rodney Weinzierl as he addresses drought and high water issues and their impact on Illinois farmers.
April 2025
The Silt is Gone-
Where’d them Muddy Waters go?
Join AWI Board of Directors member and Tulane University Research Professor, Dr. Barbara Kleiss as she discussed the decline in the sediment load of the Mississippi River over the last 100 years ago. Learn about the factors that have caused the change and its impact on the Gulf and Louisiana.