2026 Michigan Wetlands Association Conference
October 5-8, 2026
The H Hotel (Midland, MI)
Have questions or need assistance with your registration? Please contact MWA@miwetlands.org.
Michigan Wetlands Association will be holding its Conference on October 6 through 8, 2026 at The H Hotel in Midland, Michigan with special pre-conference workshops be held on October 5. The conference will include sessions on Current Topics in Wetlands Science, Wetland Restoration and Stewardship, and Protection of Wetlands, Lakes and Streams. The conference will also include field trips, presentation and sponsorship opportunities, networking, and social activities.
Preliminary Agenda
Monday Workshop Descriptions:
All Monday Workshops will run from 10:00am-4:00pm at the H Hotel, please only register for one workshop. Lunch will be provided.
Advances in Michigan’s Wetland Mitigation Program: Tools, Technology, and Templates
Primary Presenter: Mike Pennington, EGLE Wetland Mitigation Specialist
Cost: $75
Description:
Join staff from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) for an in-depth overview of recent advances in the state’s Wetland Mitigation Program. This session will highlight innovative tools and updated resources designed to improve the planning, implementation, and long-term success of wetland mitigation and wetland bank projects across Michigan. Specifically, the following topics will be covered:
- The current status of wetland banking in Michigan and an outlook on future bank development.
- EGLE’s new GIS system developed to assist applicants with finding bank credits.
- EGLE’s new wetland mitigation monitoring tool aimed at standardizing data collection and reporting efforts.
- Initial results from statewide Wetland Hydrology Pilot Project aimed at better understanding natural wetland hydroperiods.
- Updated EGLE templates for required mitigation documents (mitigation plans, monitoring reports, long-term management plans and stewardship agreements).
- The process of transitioning wetland mitigation sites from active monitoring/management to long-term management and stewardship.
A Deep Dive into Feasible and Prudent Alternatives
Presenters: Anne Garwood (EGLE Field Operations Support Section Manager) and Kathryn Kirkpatrick (EGLE Wetlands Policy Analyst)
Cost: $75
Description:
This workshop is designed specifically for wetland consultants, environmental planners, engineers, and permitting professionals who regularly prepare applications under Part 303, Wetlands Protection, of Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA).
Participants will gain a clearer understanding of how EGLE evaluates Feasible & Prudent Alternatives analysis during wetland permit review. The workshop will focus on what constitutes a complete alternatives analysis and how avoidance and minimization must be documented.
Through practical case studies and applied exercises, attendees will learn:
- How EGLE reviews “feasible and prudent” alternatives in wetland projects.
- Common deficiencies in alternatives analyses.
- Considerations of location, configuration, size, methods, and other factors.
- How mitigation fits into — but does not replace — avoidance.
- How to prepare and provide documentation that reduces review delays and correction requests through MiEnviro.
Utilizing Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Monitoring Data
Presenter: Katie Fairchild, EGLE Great Lakes Wetland Ecologist
Cost: $30
Description:
This workshop will feature the ongoing Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program, highlighting the ways the results can be applied for project planning and design. Organizations from across the Great Lakes basin are invited to attend and gain insight on utilizing this data using the Site Mapping Tool and Decision Support Tool. The workshop is being held for land managers, wetland practitioners, researchers, state agencies, tribes, conservation and environmental organizations, and others. Topics covered will include: data results, habitat projects, academic research that have been implemented utilizing the data collected from the project and sharing ideas for how these results can inform future management and restoration of coastal wetlands.
Sponsored by EGLE and presented by the Great Lakes Coastal Monitoring Project Principal Investigators.
Tuesday Wetlands Under the Lights Reception:
Cost: $50
Join us for an unforgettable evening of connection, conservation, and conversation at Wetlands Under the Lights, our off-site social networking event overlooking the Dow Diamond baseball field.
This reception has been specifically curated to create a comfortable, yet elevated atmosphere designed to bring together wetland professionals, agencies, researchers, companies, and conservation organizations. The Dow Diamond is just a 15-minute walk or short drive from The H Hotel and offers the perfect setting to deepen conversations, grow your network, and share your passion for Protecting Michigan’s Wetlands.
Don’t miss this signature social event by adding the Wetlands Under the Lights Reception to your conference registration and experience the conference from a whole new perspective. Advance registration is required.
Thursday Afternoon Field Trip Descriptions:
All Thursday field trips are concurrent from 1:00-4:00pm, please only register for one. Participants should wear appropriate clothing and be prepared to drive/carpool to the field trip sites (excluding Mosses with Jeremy). We recommend that all field trip attendees add a boxed lunch ($25) to their registration
Four Lakes Dam Disaster and Rebuild Tour
Presenters: Jason DeMoss, Robb Roos, Luke Trumble
Location: Edenville and Sanford, Michigan
Cost: $25
Description:
In May 2020, a historic rainfall event led to severe flooding and the catastrophic failure of the Edenville and Sanford Dams in Midland and Gladwin Counties, Michigan. The failures on May 19, 2020, resulted in the draining of four impounded lakes – Secord, Smallwood, Wixom, and Sanford – representing thousands of acres of former lake surface. The loss of these lakes triggered significant ecological changes to surrounding wetlands, including:
- Degradation and alteration of adjacent wetlands driven by shifts in groundwater hydrology.
- Formation of new wetlands on the exposed lakebed bottomlands, which have undergone natural regeneration and disturbance-driven succession.
In response to the disaster, the Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF) (the counties’ legal delegated authority) undertook the long‑term effort to rebuild the Secord, Smallwood, Edenville, and Sanford Dams and restore the four lakes.
This field trip will expand on the May 2025 Michigan Wetland Association webinar (available on YouTube), Michigan Dam Disaster: Evaluating Wetland Extent on the Bottomlands of a Drained Lake System. Participants will explore:
- The water resources and wetland systems affected by the dam failures.
- Bottomlands that have been exposed since 2020 and are undergoing ecological transition.
- The newly constructed Smallwood Dam and other reconstruction sites.
- On‑the‑ground views of dams progressing toward substantial completion.
- This rare tour provides a firsthand look at how a major dam failure reshapes ecological systems, landscapes, and communities – and how large-scale restoration efforts are unfolding across the Four Lakes region.
Join us after the field at a local tavern (cost on your own) to socialize, network and relax!
Bring weather-appropriate field gear and footwear.
Mosses with Jeremy
Presenter: Dr. Jeremy Hartsock
Location: The H Hotel (Classroom)
Cost: $25
Description:
Mosses and liverworts – collectively referred to as “bryophytes” – are small but fascinating plants that occur in nearly all ecosystems – sometimes in great abundance. Despite their high species diversity, they are frequently overlooked, even by skilled botanists because many diagnostic features require magnification to see. This welcoming, hands-on, in-classroom workshop is geared toward educators, botanically inclined amateur naturalists, and natural resource professionals curious to learn more about common bryophytes. Participants will learn how to use hand lenses and microscopes to recognize some of the most common moss and liverwort genera found in Michigan wetlands, as well as a few upland species too.
Join us after the classroom session at the Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom (cost on your own) to socialize, network and relax!
Exploring Michigan’s Rare Wetlands – Floodplain Forests
Presenters: Todd Losee, Mike Pennington, Tyler Smith
Location: Forestview Natural Area
Cost: $25
Description:
Step into Michigan’s Floodplain Forests, where the ground squishes, the trees lean, and every log looks like it has a story to tell. This guided field trip takes you into one of the state’s most dynamic natural communities—places shaped by rivers that rise, fall, and wander. Floodplain Forests are dynamic, river‑influenced ecosystems that play a vital role in Michigan’s ecological landscape.
This field trip introduces participants to the structure, function, and characteristic species of these seasonally flooded forests, emphasizing how hydrology, soil processes, and disturbance regimes shape their composition and ecological importance. Through guided instruction, learners explore the defining features of Floodplain Forests. This field‑based experience is designed for all skill levels and offers an engaging, on‑the‑ground look at one of Michigan’s most important wetland natural communities.
Join us after the field at the Midland Brewing Company (cost on your own) to socialize, network and relax!
Bring weather-appropriate field gear and footwear.
Bats in the Bark: Finding Potential Bat Roost Trees
Presenters: Nicolette Sexton with Michigan Natural Features Inventory
Location: Chippewa Nature Center
Cost: $25
Description:
Join bat experts from Michigan Natural Features Inventory and other agency staff for a guided hike through the forests of the Chippewa Nature Center to learn how to identify potential summer bat roost trees in both floodplain and upland forests. Participants will look for key roost characteristics such as loose or peeling bark, cavities, cracks, and broken tops, and discuss how tree species, size, decay, sunlight, canopy cover, and proximity to water influence bat use. The group will practice scanning and documenting potential roosts while exploring how forest management and disturbance affect habitat quality.
The trip will also cover practical federal regulatory considerations, including how the Endangered Species Act applies to listed bats, when coordination with state and fedearl agencies USFWS may be needed, and how roost assessments inform project planning, seasonal clearing limits, and impact avoidance. Expect a moderately paced walk with frequent stops for close inspection of trees and forest structure.
Join us after the field at the Three Bridges Distillery & Taproom (cost on your own) to socialize, network and relax!
Bring: binoculars, sturdy hiking boots, and weather-appropriate field gear.
Register:
Please select your Registration Type and any Workshop, Field Trip & Reception add-ons.