2026 Annual Watershed Conference

This year’s Annual Watershed Conference theme is “Anatomy of a Success Story.”

The conference will have two components:

The pre-conference webinar on Wednesday, October 21 from 1-3 pm via Zoom will showcase inspiring stories of four watershed groups from across the country, breaking down elements of their successes into valuable lessons learned. We will focus on the “anatomy of a success story,” paying close attention to what steps each watershed group took to set themselves up for effective project implementation and high impact in their watershed communities.

The in-person conference on Tuesday, October 27 from 9 am to 3:30 pm at the Henry A. Wallace Center, FDR Presidential Library & Museum in Hyde Park, NY includes plenary presentations, interactive breakout sessions, and lots of opportunities for conversations and networking.

The conference features three impactful, collaborative projects as plenary case studies. Different partners will share their roles, expertise, and perspectives from each. We’ll consider what success means in the context of each project, and hear about the kinds of systems that support effective watershed work.

Plenary session topics at the conference include:

Quassaick Creek Greenway: This presentation will focus on how the long-time vision for improved access to the Quassaick Creek is becoming a reality, through thoughtful science, planning, partnerships, and community activation.
Speakers: Kayla Patel, Urban Planner Project Manager, Scenic Hudson; Bill Fetter, Quassaick Creek Watershed Alliance; Betty Bastidas, Director | Land Steward, Newburgh Sanctuary at Crystal Lake; and Jessica Dickinson, Parks & Recreation Director, Town of New Windsor

Housing & Conservation: This presentation will share the Hudson Valley Alliance for Housing and Conservation’s collaborative work to connect affordable housing and land conservation goals, with specific case studies of projects and planning from the Columbia Land Conservancy and the Town of New Lebanon.
Speakers: Marissa Codey, Special Projects Advisor, Columbia Land Conservancy; and Tistrya Houghtling, Town Supervisor, Town of New Lebanon

Oakdale Lake Community Science, Planning, and Management: This presentation will discuss community water quality monitoring, effective planning, Environmental Justice grant funding, and ongoing improvements to support Oakdale Lake, a 4-acre lake and public swimming beach in the City of Hudson.
Speakers: Cate Collinson, Project Manager, Oakdale Lake Water Quality Improvement Project; and Peter Frank, Board, Friends of Hudson Youth

Registration is available below for one or both of the conference components. More details about the webinar and Annual Watershed Conference agendas will be available soon.

More photos from the 2025 conference by Ava Battinelli are available in our Flikr album.

Sponsor the Annual Watershed Conference

Interested in sponsoring the watershed conference? Your sponsorship will fund the conference proceedings and support the attendance of individuals and groups in need of financial assistance. More details are available in the form here. If you’d like to pay for sponsorship by credit card, you can use our online form (also available below).

We anticipate strong participation from watershed communities from throughout the Hudson Valley. Over 150 people participated in our hybrid conference in 2025. (An example of last year’s conference format and agenda is available here.)

Thank you to our sponsors!

Watershed Sponsor

River Sponsors

Anne & Fred Osborn III / The EASTER Foundation
Hudson River Valley Greenway
Hudson Valley Regional Council
SLR Consulting

Brook Sponsors

Adams Fairacre Farms
CDPHP
Common Ground Consulting, LLC
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Shadbush Consulting, LLC
Upstate GIS
Wallkill River Watershed Alliance