All times PDT.
Program subject to change.
Workshop fees are separate from conference registration.
Conference registration is not required to attend a workshop.
Workshops are offered in person only.
Updated July 27, 2026
All workshops are scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Applications of R for Aquatic Plant Data
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Hands-On Introduction to Flow Imaging Microscopy and EcoTaxa for Phytoplankton Analysis
8:00 am – 12:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Internal Phosphorus Loading and Cyanobacteria: Hypotheses, case studies, internal load estimation and remediation
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | $250 – Register Now
Introduction to CE-QUAL-W2 Modeling for Limnologists and Lake Managers
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Introduction to R for Aquatic Research
8:00 am – 12:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Lake and Reservoir Management in Mexico and Latin America: Challenges, Solutions, and Opportunities for Collaboration
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Sediment Phosphorus Inactivation in Lakes and Ponds
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | $250 – Register Now
Taxonomy, Ecology, and Control of Algae
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | $275 – Register Now
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
This workshop will build on techniques introduced in Introduction to R for Aquatic Research to demonstrate a couple of in-depth, hands-on applications. We will explore more advanced data management techniques, some common statistical tools, plotting, and spatial data through hands-on examples using real data sets from applied settings. Those less familiar with R should attend the Introduction to R for Aquatic Research, but those who have some experience using R should be able to work through the examples without attending the former.
Presenters
Dan Stich is an Assistant professor at the SUNY Oneonta. His research focuses on development and application of quantitative tools for fisheries science and management, primarily through R.
Sarah Burnet is a Limnologist with the Portland District US Army Corps of Engineers and NALMS Region 10 Director. Her research is focused on long-term data collection and analysis as well as better understanding drivers to algae blooms.
8:00 am – 12:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
This interactive workshop provides a practical introduction to flow imaging microscopy using the FlowCam, combined with hands-on training in image classification and data management using EcoTaxa. Designed for water quality professionals and researchers, the session emphasizes real-time demonstration and participant engagement.
The workshop begins with a brief lecture covering core principles of flow imaging microscopy, instrument operation, and key applications for phytoplankton and HAB monitoring. Participants will then observe a live sample run projected on a large screen, providing a step-by-step view of data acquisition and image capture.
Following acquisition, attendees will learn how to create and apply filters within VisualSpreadsheet (ViSp) to isolate target organisms and improve dataset quality. The session will then walk through exporting datasets to EcoTaxa, where participants will gain experience navigating the dashboard, organizing projects, and initiating image classification workflows.
In the second half of the workshop, participants will work directly on their own laptops. Pre-configured EcoTaxa projects will be provided, allowing attendees to log in, explore datasets, and follow along with guided exercises. With simultaneous instruction on the main screen, participants will practice filtering, annotating, and interacting with their data in real time.
By the end of the session, attendees will have a clear understanding of the full workflow—from sample acquisition to data analysis—and the confidence to begin applying these tools within their own monitoring programs.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the fundamentals of flow imaging microscopy and its applications in water quality monitoring
- Gain familiarity with FlowCam operation and data acquisition workflows
- Learn to create and apply image filters using VisualSpreadsheet
- Export and manage datasets within EcoTaxa
- Perform basic image classification and data exploration using EcoTaxa tools
Presenter
Polly Barrowman is the Water Markets Manager at Yokogawa Fluid Imaging Technologies. She works closely with freshwater researchers and drinking water utilities worldwide, helping them to implement FlowCam technology into their phytoplankton research and monitoring programs. Polly has a Master’s degree in Environmental Microbiology and 12 years of experience as a Microbiology Technical Manager in a contract laboratory for drinking water analysis.
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | $250 – Register Now
Cyanobacteria (“bluegreen algae”) often proliferate at the same time and under similar conditions that are favourable for internal phosphorus (P) loading from lake bottom sediments. Internal loading as P released from anoxic sediment surfaces often represents the main summer P load to lakes. Because of its high biological availability, the lack of dilution, and the timing, it can have an immense effect on summer-fall water quality of a lake, reservoir, or pond.
In this workshop correlations and coincidences, as well as limnological reasoning is provided in support of the hypothesis that cyanobacteria blooms (in general and for the recently increased frequency), are related to increases in internal P loading. Both internal P loading basics and cyanobacteria background are provided and possible links between sediment released P and cyanobacteria blooms are explored.
Ways of quantifying internal load in polymictic and stratified lakes are presented, sometimes in a step-wise fashion, where missing data may be predicted by subsidiary models. Applications regarding lake quality assessment and trophic state, and an introduction into the theory of lake restoration will be provided. Each workshop topic will include a description of the theory and presentation of case studies covering US, Canadian, and European lake assessment and restoration projects listed at http://www.fwr.ca. Since the workshop was first offered, case studies have continued to support such connections. Much of this workshop is based on the recent book: Nürnberg, G.K., 2025. Lake Functioning: Internal Phosphorus Loading, Cyanobacteria, and Climate Change. CRC Press, 298 p. https://www.routledge.com/9781032294407
Presenter
Gertrud K. Nürnberg, Ph.D. (McGill, Quebec) is the principal of Freshwater Research, a limnological company focusing on restoration and modeling of eutrophic lakes and reservoirs. She is specialized in internal processes in eutrophic lakes such as internal phosphorus loading and hypoxia and has more than 40 years of experience working with lake associations, governmental agencies, engineering companies and the private sector in the US, Canada, and Europe. She won several of NALMS’ prestigious awards and published more than 70 peer-reviewed papers and one book.
Her published research includes comparative studies and empirical lake models on phosphorus, iron, and anoxia and on lake management techniques in numerous scientific journals. She was an associate editor of the NALMS Journal Lake and Reservoir Management, and is still actively involved in the peer-review process in many scientific journals.
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Do you need to build a lake model but aren’t sure where to start? Are you wondering whether it’s possible to accurately model phytoplankton and nutrient dynamics—such as internal phosphorus or nitrogen loading? And even if it is, how do you know which model is best suited to your project? If you’re looking for answers to any of these questions, this class is for you! This course is designed to help you understand what models are available, along with their capabilities and limitations. After an introduction to available modeling approaches, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers model CE-QUAL-W2 will be the focus of the class. I’ll guide you through the basic steps of building a CE-QUAL-W2 model and demonstrate key capabilities, with an emphasis on the functionalities most relevant to lakes and the practical considerations most important to limnologists and lake managers. The ultimate goal of this course is to help you make a clear “go/no-go” decision about whether to proceed with developing a CE-QUAL-W2 model. I’ll share examples from models I’ve built, discuss features I’ve found especially useful, identify monitoring needs to support model development, and highlight improvements I believe would be valuable in future model versions.
Presenter
Keith Pilgrim has been building and using lake water quality models for over 25 years. He has built custom zero and one dimensional lake models that include hydrodynamics, nutrients, internal loading, phytoplankton and aquatic plants. He has been an extensive user of lake and reservoir models such as Delft 3D, DYRESM, ELCOM, AEM 3D, and CE-QUAL-W2.
8:00 am – 12:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
This workshop will be an introduction to the R programming language. It will cover R syntax (e.g., how to read and write R code), types of variables and objects, functions, basic data management (e.g., loading, referencing, manipulation, transformation, and subsets), basic descriptive statistics, and working with R packages like those included in the “tidyverse” for data summary and plotting. This session will use long-term limnological data for demonstrations and hands-on examples.
Presenters
Dan Stich is an Assistant professor at the SUNY Oneonta. His research focuses on development and application of quantitative tools for fisheries science and management, primarily through R.
Sarah Burnet is a Limnologist with the Portland District US Army Corps of Engineers and NALMS Region 10 Director. Her research is focused on long-term data collection and analysis as well as better understanding drivers to algae blooms.
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm | $150 – Register Now
Lake and reservoir management challenges in Mexico and Latin America are receiving increasing attention due to population growth, water scarcity, eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and climate change. Despite the importance of these systems for drinking water supply, recreation, fisheries, and ecosystem services, opportunities for knowledge exchange between lake managers and researchers in North America and Latin America remain limited.
This half-day workshop will provide a forum for scientists, engineers, managers, and students to discuss current challenges and solutions for lake and reservoir management in Mexico and Latin America. The workshop will include case studies from Mexico, Guatemala and Argentina. Discussion topics will include harmful algal bloom management, reservoir water quality assessment, watershed governance, water reuse, flood-managed aquifer recharge, and management of wetlands and lagoons. Case studies will include Lake Chapala, Valle de Bravo Reservoir, the Lake Cuitzeo Basin, the Chaschoc-Sejá lagoon system, water reuse projects in Baja California, Lake Atitlán, and wetland-lagoon systems in Argentina. Participants will explore both scientific and management perspectives, with emphasis on transferable lessons and opportunities for collaboration.
Workshop contributors will include researchers and practitioners from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the Mexican Institute of Water Technology, the Autonomous University of Baja California, the University of the Valley of Guatemala, and the National University of La Plata. The workshop will be hosted by scholars from the University of California and supported through funding from NALMS and Alianza MX, a University of California program to enhance collaboration between California and the US.
Presenters
Dr. Marc Beutel is a Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Merced. His research focuses on lake and reservoir management, mercury cycling, water quality, and ecological engineering. He has led numerous field and laboratory studies evaluating hypolimnetic oxygenation, internal nutrient loading, and mercury mitigation in reservoirs throughout California and Mexico.
Dr. Stephen McCord is a Program Coordinator at the University of California, Davis and President of McCord Environmental, Inc. He has more than 25 years of experience in research, teaching, and consulting focused on water quality, watershed management, and lake and reservoir restoration. His work spans California and international projects addressing eutrophication, mercury management, watershed planning, and aquatic ecosystem restoration.
Dr. Anne M. Hansen is a researcher at the Mexican Institute of Water Technology (IMTA) whose work focuses on reservoir water quality, eutrophication control, sediment-water interactions, and aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation. She has led studies of several important Mexican reservoirs, including Valle de Bravo and Presa Endhó, evaluating nutrient management, oxygen dynamics, and restoration strategies for highly impaired water bodies.
Dr. Leopoldo G. Mendoza-Espinosa is a professor at the Autonomous University of Baja California whose work focuses on wastewater treatment, water reuse, and integrated water resources management. Trained as an oceanographer, he has been a leading advocate for reclaimed water use in Baja California and has helped advance water reuse projects supporting agriculture and groundwater sustainability in the Ensenada and Valle de Guadalupe regions.
Dr. Graciela Herrera Zamarrón is a senior researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Her work focuses on hydrologic modeling, water resources, and environmental systems. She leads interdisciplinary research on the Chaschoc-Sejá lagoon system in Tabasco, integrating hydrology, climate science, remote sensing, water quality, and socio-environmental processes to support ecosystem conservation and restoration.
Alejandro Juárez Aguilar is a water resources practitioner with Instituto Corazón de la Tierra and the International Lake Environment Committee. His work focuses on lake basin governance, watershed restoration, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable water management in the Lerma-Chapala Basin. He has played an active role in initiatives to improve the long-term ecological health and resilience of Lake Chapala.
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | $250 – Register Now
Internal phosphorus (P) loading because of sediment P release is widely recognized as a critical source of P that must be reduced to meet water quality goals and reduce nuisance, and sometimes harmful, algae blooms in lakes and ponds. One of the more common approaches for controlling sediment P release is the application of metal salts to bind the sediment P, minimizing its recycling potential. Some of the more common metal salts include aluminum, lanthanum, iron and calcium which can be applied in many forms using various strategies to accomplish P reduction goals. The successful use of these inactivation agents requires a thorough knowledge of sediment chemistry and P release dynamics, dosing, and application strategies. However, all of these materials share similar data requirements and calculation approaches to develop an effective approach to minimize sediment P release. The purpose of this workshop is to develop an understanding of data requirements, diagnosis and quantifying internal P loading, dosing methods, and application strategies to develop a successful sediment P inactivation project. While the workshop will cover dosing and application strategies for the most commonly used sediment P activation agents, the use of aluminum sulfate will be the focus since it is historically the most widely used approach in the US.
This workshop provides a systematic overview of planning, diagnosis, monitoring, dosing and application technologies for using alum (and other inactivation agents) for P control. Application strategies for deep and shallow lakes include a) water column P stripping, b) P interception, c) maintenance dosing, d) sediment P inactivation and e) P control in ponds. We provide overviews of the history of sediment phosphorus inactivation, long-term efficacy, inactivation chemistry, diagnostic and modeling tools, methods for quantifying internal P load, dosing calculations, application technologies and monitoring requirements. While the use of aluminum is the focus of the workshop, we will also briefly cover other inactivation agents where possible. Numerous case studies will be presented, and participants are invited to present their lake’s concerns. The workshop is interactive and there is ample time for discussion.
Presenters
Shannon Brattebo is an environmental engineer and limnologist. Shannon’s work has focused on lake and reservoir water quality, restoration, and management both in the Pacific Northwest and across the nation. Shannon has been a member of NALMS since 2001, served as NALMS Region 10 Director and is currently the NALMS Treasurer. Joe Bischoff is a limnologist with Barr Engineering, Inc. whose work focuses on phosphorus cycling in deep and shallow lakes, reservoirs and ponds. Joe has completed over 30 successful sediment phosphorus inactivation projects and analyzed sediments from hundreds of lakes. Joe is currently President of the newly formed Minnesota Lake Management Association and the NALMS Region 5 Director. John Holz is a limnologist who leads SOLitude Lake Management’s nutrient remediation efforts, specializing in both small and large-scale alum applications. John is a longtime NALMS member and has served on the NALMS board of directors.
8:00 am – 5:00 pm | $275 – Register Now
Algae are an important part of a properly functioning natural aquatic system, but when algae become abundant, water uses and habitat are often impaired. Abundance of cyanobacteria and possible related toxicity has become a “hot button” issue, and other water quality implications and aesthetic considerations remain prominent issues. All algae are not created equal, however, and proper collection and identification are essential to selecting a management strategy. This workshop is intended to provide information on how to collect and recognize common genera within major groups of algae, understanding which algae tend to form blooms and why, what toxins can be formed and the risks they pose, and how to control algae to maximize waterbody compliance with state and federal regulations. The workshop touches on material that could be the subject of a semester course in a single day, so we can only introduce participants to methods, taxonomy, toxicity, ecology and control options, but additional resources will be provided to help participants advance their understanding. We spend a substantial amount of time looking at specimens under the microscope including a projection system that allows participants to see what we see when we analyze samples and get a feel for the identification process.
Presenters
The workshop is taught by Dr. Ken Wagner of WRS Inc., Dr. Barry Rosen of Florida Gulf Coast University, Mr. Andrew Chapman of Greenwater Labs in Florida and Mr. Kam Truhn of PhycoTech, experienced algal taxonomists and ecologists working in applied fields. Collectively they have many years of experience assessing algal problems, evaluating impacts and causes of algal nuisances, and developing algal management programs. This team has been involved with the algae workshop at NALMS for three decades.