Past Symposia

River Management Training Symposium:
Restoring Rivers for a Resilient Future

April 8-10, 2025 | Ashland, Oregon

The 2025 Symposium graphic was designed by RMS member Megan Black, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, with input from the Symposium Marketing Committee.

Join us for a week of technical training and peer learning in the immediate aftermath of the largest dam removal in US history at our Restoring Rivers for a Resilient Future River Management Training Symposium! The event will take place April 8-10, 2025, at Ashland Hills Hotel and Suites in Ashland, Oregon with field sessions at regional restoration sites.

Restoring free flow to nearly 300 miles of the Klamath River will provide a unique backdrop for sharing strategies and techniques that are restoring and rehabilitating watersheds and their communities across the country. Decades in the making, this landmark dam removal project is a national case study in how to create previously unthinkable change through the restoration of relationships and the renewal of collaboration to create more resilient communities. In addition to the historic work on the Klamath, we look forward to learning how groups are applying skills related to river flow, water quality and collaborative experiences where you live and work.

Professionals from across the country—river managers, rangers, outfitters, planners, water trail coordinators, advocates, community leaders, scientists, and students alike—will share how they are evolving multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches to address a range of topics including visitor use, flood prevention and recovery, fire and forest resilience, water quality, responsible recreation, and development. We are confident that you will gain new insights and practical tools you can apply to reset your rivers’ ecological integrity and biodiversity, re-establish connections between their human communities and ecosystems, and renew their long-term vitality.

Centered within the context of the momentous dam removal and restoration efforts underway on the Klamath River, we will explore all aspects of the technical, social, and ecological dimensions of river and watershed restoration. How can we expand our capacity to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of river ecosystems? How can we strengthen inclusive and intergenerational relationships to acknowledge a track record of continued social and cultural injury as we seek to realize a just and equitable vision of the future for our rivers and communities? What are the barriers that inhibit upscaling the kinds of restoration needed to advance a more resilient future?

RMS invites you to submit proposals that showcase practical techniques, innovative research, policy initiatives and creative approaches that inform the spirit and practice of a more holistic relationship with the rivers that unite us in a shared vision of our common future. Any and all rivers you manage, support and study play important roles in the telling of our nation's system of life-supporting arteries regardless of their character, level of visitation, or consideration in a Wild and Scenic, State Scenic or other management system.

Symposium Themes

Recover:

Share strategies and techniques you have employed to recover the social and ecological integrity of river ecosystems and communities. Representative topics of this track may include:

Innovative approaches to habitat restoration
Species restoration or reintroduction programs
Invasive species prevention and mitigation
Sustainable land use practices to mitigate the impacts of environmental degradation
Socio-economics of ecosystem recovery
Social and ecological benefits derived from ecosystem restoration

Reconnect:

Highlight frameworks and techniques that re-establish river and watershed connectivity and emphasize the interdependent relationships between people and rivers. Representative topics of this track may include:

Science and techniques of landscape and watershed connectivity
Revitalizing riverfront areas for community and recreational benefit
Implementing natural and cultural heritage interpretation programs
Community engagement practices for improved human well-being
Watershed stewardship programs
Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and the practice of holistic restoration
Collaborative governance models in river basin management

Renew:

Share innovative approaches to river restoration projects or contemporary water challenges and engage our aspirations for a resilient future. Representative topics of this track may include:

Restoring natural flow regimes and degraded water quality
Ecosystem services and economic benefits of ecosystem restoration
New tools and approaches to finance conservation and restoration
Nature-based solutions and green infrastructure
Innovative river management or water management technologies
Planning frameworks that incorporate social and ecological resilience, resource monitoring and adaptive management
Cultural, creative, and spiritual dimensions of ecological restoration

Submission Details

Presentation types

Paper or Topic: In-person concurrent sessions can be 25, 40, or 55 minutes long, depending on the type of presentation. This includes time for follow-up questions and group discussions.
Panel or Roundtable: Multiple-presenter panel discussions or roundtables can last 40 or 90 minutes. The discussion should demonstrate a practical application and include audience interaction. Proposals in this format should identify a presentation lead or session moderator.
Poster Presentation: Poster presenters will have an opportunity to display your informational poster during the Welcome Reception on the evening of Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Presenter expenses

All presenters of an accepted proposal must be registered for the Symposium to participate. Presenters are responsible for ensuring that your co-presenters understand this policy and register themselves. Early-bird, One-day and Student registration rates will be available.

Submittal procedure:

The call for proposals will CLOSE on October 1, 2024.

You may submit multiple proposals, however a separate submission for each presentation and poster session will be required. Selected presenters will have access to a laptop computer, digital projector, screen, and podium at the conference facility. Please contact us if you think your session idea might require additional support; we will evaluate requests for accommodations or special equipment on a case-by-case basis. The Symposium Program Committee will review all proposals. Due to the limited number of program times available, not all proposals will be assured a place in the schedule. Individuals submitting proposals will be notified of acceptance/rejection by October 31, 2024. Please note that these are estimated dates and may be subject to change.

Submit a Proposal

Have questions or need additional assistance?

This Symposium web page is regularly updated. If you experience problems submitting a proposal, please don’t hesitate to contact: training(at)river-management.org.