Conference is Full!
Mass Wasting in Disturbed Watersheds, the second Shlemon Specialty Conference in Engineering Geology is planned for May 3-5, 2006 in Durango, Colorado. It will include keynote oral presentations by invited experts, volunteered poster presentations by conference attendees, a field excursion, and ample time for informal interaction in a spectacular mountain setting. The conference organizers are Bill Haneberg (Haneberg Geoscience), Sue Cannon (US Geological Survey), Jeff Coe (US Geological Survey), and Paul Santi (Colorado School of Mines).
Sponsored by the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists and the AEG Foundation in recognition of a generous contribution from Dr. Roy Shlemon, these conferences provide a forum for engineering geologists, geotechnical engineers, and related professionals to advance the state of their science through congenial and highly focused technical meetings.
Our objective is to bring together practitioners and researchers to define the current state of practice and identify unresolved problems with regard to the prediction and mitigation of mass wasting in disturbed watersheds. Disturbances of all kinds will be emphasized, allowing participants who normally work in different fields to share and compare their experiences with the effects of watershed disturbance. We anticipate a slate of presentations covering wildfires, logging, mining, urban development, volcanism, and other agents of disturbance on watershed scale slope stability and sediment production.
The conference will be limited to approximately 50 participants in order to create a casual atmosphere and encourage informal conversations.
Technical Sessions
Two full days of technical sessions are planned. Each session will include two invited keynote speakers who will provide an overview of the current state-of-the-practice, unresolved issues, and future directions. The keynote speakers will be followed by brief oral abstracts and informal poster presentations contributed by conference participants.
The success of small specialty conferences such as this one depends on volunteered presentations! All participants are strongly encouraged to contribute to the program by volunteering a poster presentation.
The four technical session topics will be:
- Post-wildfire mass wasting
- Logging and mass wasting
- Mining, urbanization, volcanism, and other disturbances
- Emerging technologies and tools (e.g., LiDAR, GIS applications, watershed modeling)
Field Excursion
A one-day field excursion will include local examples of slope instability related to wildfire and other disturbances.
Keynote Speakers
- Jon Major, U.S. Geological Survey. Mass wasting in volcanically disturbed watersheds: Primary events, landscape responses, and geological-ecological interactions
- Charlie Luce, U.S. Forest Service. Mass wasting following forest fires: processes at multiple scales
- Sue Cannon, U.S. Geological Survey. Tools for assessing post-wildfire debris flow probabilities and magnitudes
- Tom Koler, U.S. Forest Service. Progress in forest engineering geology in the late 20th century and early 21st century-- the integration of engineering geology within ecosystem management of forested lands
- Laura Vaugeois, Washington Department of Natural Resources. Washington's landslide hazard zonation project: a process for addressing risk to resources.
- Bill Laprade, Shannon & Wilson. Effects of urbanization on mass wasting-- detrimental and beneficial
- Roy Sidle, Kyoto University. Landslide hazard assessment and prediction-- appropriate options at different scales in managed terrain
- Bill Haneberg, Haneberg Geoscience. Landslides, lasers, and logarithms: The role of emerging technologies in watershed-scale slope stability assessment
Conference Abstracts
Click here to see the conference abstracts (opens new window).
Sponsors
We are soliciting corporate, institutional, and agency sponsors to help support the conference. Benefits will include listing in the conference program and web site, pre-registration* to guarantee a spot at the conference, and more. Brass, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels are available. Click here to download a sponsorship form with more details.
Gold Level Sponsors
Silver Level Sponsors:
Brass Level Sponsors:
*Registration fee is not included in the sponsorship amount.
Registration and Abstract Submission
Attendance will be limited to approximately 50 participants and we anticipate that the conference will fill quickly. Registration is first-come, first-served and will remain open until the conference is filled.
E-mail volunteered poster abstracts of 200 to 250 words to Julie Keaton at AEGJULIEK@aol.com. Abstracts will be posted on the conference web site as they are received. The abstract deadline is April 19 and you must register for the conference to submit an abstract. Please register as soon as possible to ensure a spot at the conference even if you will not be able to submit an abstract immediately!
Click here for a registration form.
Conference Details
Schedule
Mass Wasting in Disturbed Watersheds will run for three full days. Plan to arrive the afternoon before and leave the morning after, or stay a few extra days to enjoy Durango.
Wednesday, May 3: Registration (7:30-8:00 am), Technical session I (8:00 am - noon), Lunch (noon - 1:00 pm), Technical Session II (1:00-5:00), Icebreaker Reception (5:00 - 7:00).
Thursday, May 4: Field excursion (8:00 am - 5:00 pm), Group dinner (6:00 - 8:00).
Friday, May 5: Technical session III (8:00 am - noon), Lunch (noon - 1:00 pm), Technical Session IV (1:00-5:00), Conference adjourns 5:00 pm.
Click here to download a schedule and list of presentations in pdf format.
Venue
The conference will be held at the historic Strater Hotel, built in 1887 and maintained as Colorado's finest Victorian hotel. The Strater is in the heart of Durango and within walking distance of restaurants and brewpubs. All rooms have a private bathroom, cable television, voicemail, and internet access.
Attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. We have negotiated a reduced rate of $109 per night (plus tax and gratuity) for deluxe rooms at the Strater Hotel. Make sure that you tell the hotel you will be attending the conference. AEG will incur penalty fees if we do not fill enough rooms, so we ask that all attendees book their rooms at the Strater Hotel.
Sustenance
Conference registration will include three lunches, one dinner, daily coffee breaks, and an icebreaker reception.
Transportation
Durango is easily accessible by land or air. Access by sea is all but impossible.
Driving time to Durango is 3.5 hours from Albuquerque, 7 hours from Denver, and 8 hours from Phoenix.
The Durango-La Plata County Airport (DRO) is located about 15 miles southeast of Durango and served by United Express, America West Express, and Rio Grande Airlines. Durango Transportation (970 259-4818) offers airport shuttle service for approximately $20. Rental cars are available from Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz, and National.
The Area
Those wishing to spend an extra day or two may be interested in Mesa Verde National Park, Chaco Canyon, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and the San Juan National Forest. Blue-ribbon fly fishing for trout along the San Juan River is about an hour away.
Questions?
Please contact any of the conference organizers:
- Bill Haneberg, Haneberg Geoscience, bill@haneberg.com
- Jeff Coe, US Geological Survey, jcoe@usgs.gov
- Sue Cannon, US Geological Survey, cannon@usgs.gov
- Paul Santi, Colorado School of Mines, psanti@mines.edu