2026 Agenda
The 2026 Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Convention is a place where you can learn from respected experts, grassroots organizers, and passionate water advocates! Engage in the pre- and post-convention workshops all day on Wednesday and Friday afternoon, in addition to the 60+ concurrent sessions on Thursday (all day) and Friday (morning)! Enhance your network of water-focused professionals throughout the Convention by connecting with other attendees, speakers, and exhibitors. Bring it all together during the Friday Confluence and prepare for your next steps!
Scroll down to see our Agenda At-A-Glance and click through to view descriptions of workshops, sessions, and networking opportunities.
When you’re ready to register, you will choose one of these Registration Types:
- In-person Attendee
- Hybrid (combination of virtual and in-person)
- Virtual Only (virtual attendance only includes the live streamed concurrent sessions and keynotes on Thursday and Friday; see virtual agenda for details)
- Interactive workshops (morning and afternoon workshops available); these are add-ons during registration
- Two field trips; these are add-ons during registration
- Lunch on Wednesday (must register as an add-on if interested)
- Special Technical Sessions driven by participant needs (included in any registration option)
- Educational and Business Exhibits (included in any registration option)
- Evening welcome reception (included in any registration option)
View In-Person Session Descriptions
- Two days full of learning and engagement
- ~60 concurrent sessions; topics include:
- River Talk
- Hot Topics
- Lake Districts
- Lake, River, and Watershed Associations
- Shoreland Health
- Ecology
- Passing on Wisdom
- Fisheries
- Monitoring Successes
- Watershed Protection/Restoration
- Educational and Business Exhibits
- Thursday Welcome session and Kick-off Keynote Presentation
- Lightning Presentations
- Poster Session
- Awards Ceremony and Banquet (must registration as an add-on)
- Lakes and Rivers Partnership After Hours informal networking event
- Friday Confluence Keynote Presentation
View Virtual Session Descriptions
Virtual participants will be able to participate in several, but not all, sessions at the 2026 WI Lakes and Rivers Convention.
All virtual presentations will be available via Zoom links. You will want to make sure you have the most updated version of Zoom, which you can check here: Updating Zoom to the latest version – Zoom Support.
Thursday and Friday, April 16-17
- Thursday Kick-off Keynote Presentation
- Friday Confluence Keynote Presentation
Virtual concurrent sessions will include these topics to choose from:
- River Talk (Thursday)
- Hot Topics (Thursday
- Ecology (Friday)
- Passing on Wisdom (Friday)
Benefits of Virtual Event
- You can stay home (or wherever you are) and save fuel (and reduce emissions!)
- You can still participate in select sessions AND the keynote speakers
- Interactive workshops in the afternoon (pre-registration required)
Wednesday, April 15
| 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Pre-Convention Morning Workshops (pre-registration required) |
| 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Exhibits Open |
| 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch on your own or pre-register for provided lunch |
| 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Pre-Convention Afternoon Workshops and Field Trips (pre-registration required) |
4:00 – 4:45 – | Refreshments in the Commons
Special Sessions (included in your registration) |
| 6:00 – 11:00 p.m. | Wisconsin Lakes and Rivers Partnership Convention Welcome Reception (included in your registration) |
8:00 a.m. – | Exhibits Open/Posters on Display |
| 8:00 – 8:50 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
| 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Convention Welcome Session (coffee and pastries) |
10:10 – | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | |
11:10 a.m. – | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
| 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:15 – 1:45 p.m. | Dedicated Exhibit Time and Dessert |
| 1:45 – 2:25 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
| 2:35 – 3:15 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
3:30 – | Networking Time (visit exhibitors) Guided stretching (4:45-5:15 p.m.) |
3:30 – | |
3:30 – 5:30 p.m. | |
| 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. | Poster Presentations (Expo 1) |
| 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Wisconsin Lake Stewardship and Volunteer Stream Monitoring Awards Ceremony & Banquet |
| 8:00-11:00 p.m. | After Hours Gathering – Acoustic Afterglow (Top Shelf Bar) |
| 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Exhibits Open |
| 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
| 9:15 – 10:15 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
| 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. | Networking Time with refreshments (visit exhibitors) Guided stretching (10:20-10:40 a.m.) |
| 10:45 – 11:45 a.m. | Concurrent Sessions (five concurrent sessions; all included in your in-person registration. Choose what to attend once you arrive!) |
| 12:00 – 1:15 p.m. | Friday Confluence (includes lunch; included in your registration) |
| 1:45 – 3:45 p.m. | Post-Convention Afternoon Workshops (pre-registration required) |