Swimming Upstream: Tackling Environmental Challenges through Partnership, Innovation, & Science

46th International Symposium of the North American Lake Management Society

November 3–6, 2026 • Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

Kelowna appears to have abundant water, but the city is in the most water-scarce region of Canada. Water resources in this semi-arid setting are under increasing pressure, compounded by watershed-scale disturbances and a warming climate. Warmer and drier conditions during the growing season often lead to agricultural, urban, and environmental water demands surpassing the available water resources.

To discuss these and other important management issues, NALMS is pleased to return to Canada (after ten years) for NALMS 2026! The program will feature the below topics (and more), workshops, field trips, presentations, networking events, and vendor displays.

 

Prospective Program

There will be technical workshops all day on Tuesday, November 3. Beginning Wednesday, November 4, three days of presentations will be organized into themed tracks and sessions. We encourage oral and poster presentations on any aspect of lake and reservoir management, but especially invite valuable insights on the following:

  • Aquatic Invasive Species
  • Climate Change
  • Paleolimnology
  • Harmful Algal Blooms
  • Community-Based Science
  • Emerging Technologies & Methods
  • Eutrophication & Nutrient Management
  • Indigenous-Led Monitoring & Stewardship
  • Managing Impacts of Extreme Events
  • Mining & Resource Extraction Impacts
  • Science & Management of Salmon Lakes
  • Urban Lakes & Stormwater Ponds
  • Protecting Drinking Water Sources
  • Aquatic Ecosystem Responses to Legacy & Emerging Stressors
  • Braiding Western Science & Indigenous Knowledge
  • Alpine & Arctic Lake Management
  • Winter Limnology
  • Wake Impacts, Shoreline Erosion, & Safety
  • In-Lake Treatments (Aeration, Sediment Inactivation, Alum, etc.)
  • Case Studies on Lake & Reservoir Management
  • Lake Management Planning, Policies, & Social Aspects
  • Reservoir Management
  • Macrophyte Management
  • Fisheries, Restoration, & Fish Ecology
  • Big Data, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, & Water Management
  • Lake Stewardship Groups & Watershed Governance
  • Any other lake related topic!

 

Special Sessions

If you are interested in organizing a Special Session of themed presentations, please email Liz Favot (liz.favot@gmail.com) and Andrew Paterson (andrew.paterson@ontario.ca), Program Co-chairs, directly to coordinate no later than March 27, 2026. Sessions should consist of at least 4 presentations, or 3 presentations and a panel discussion.

 

General Presentation Information

  • We will prioritize oral presentations that describe completed or well-advanced studies with lab and/or field data. We encourage presentations that also project future challenges and advances in lake management. However, we discourage presentations that solely describe future projects, or which do not include data. We will make special arrangements for exhibitor presentations and/or that consist primarily of vendor information.
  • NALMS does not endorse specific products or services. Thus, any poster or presentation must include disclosure(s) of any and all relevant relationship(s) with: i) any and all corporations or ii) commercial product(s), iii) method(s), and iv) trade or brand name(s). The submitted abstract of an oral or poster presentation that includes such disclosure(s) shall also include the following wording: “The author(s) of this abstract has/have a financial interest in the (insert i through iv, as applicable) described.”
  • We require PowerPoint files for all oral presentations. We will provide laptop computers and projectors. Presentation computers are not guaranteed to have internet access or sound output available. Presentations should be prepared accordingly.
  • We discourage use of embedded video and audio files. Under no circumstances will presenters be allowed to go beyond their allotted time due to malfunctioning video or audio files.
  • Oral presentations will be allotted 20 minutes, including time for questions.
  • All presenters are highly encouraged to provide a recorded version of their presentation prior to the conference. Recordings will be available to all attendees during the conference and for 3 months after the conference.
  • We encourage abstract submissions for poster sessions. All posters will be displayed throughout the symposium in landscape format. Display areas will accommodate posters up to 4’ × 8’ (1.2 m × 2.4 m).
  • Students making oral or poster presentations as primary authors will be considered for student awards.
  • All presenters of accepted abstracts must register for the symposium no later than August 7, 2026. NALMS does not waive registration fees for presenters.

 

General Abstract Information

  • Abstracts are due by May 22, 2026. Abstracts received after the deadline may be rejected or reassigned from oral to poster presentations.
  • We accept abstracts only via the NALMS website. Abstracts must include the following information, as specified.
  • Title: Accurately summarize the subject of the presentation.
  • Keywords: Provide no more than three (3) one- or two-word keywords for your presentation such as ‘Alum’ or ‘Algal Toxin.’
  • Authors: Provide names and affiliations of all authors. NOTE: Indicate if the primary author is a student so the presentation may be considered for student awards.
  • Text: State the purpose, significant findings, and main conclusions of the work. Avoid statements like “Results will be presented“ and “Implications will be discussed.” Provide a concise summary of results and implications. Abstracts must not exceed 250 words; those in excess of 250 words may be truncated. Abstracts selected for either oral or poster presentations will be available to conference attendees.
  • Format: Indicate your presentation preference (oral, poster, or either).
Submit Your Abstract