Top-Notch Education (Times Two)
This year’s Environmental Connection will be held in Portland on February 15-18, 2015. The event will host the usual roundup of educational sessions, exhibit hall, networking opportunities, and a cast of characters from the erosion, sediment, and stormwater community. In addition, we are co-hosting with IFAI’s Geosynthetics 2015 conference. This means there will be even more educational value to you, as you can attend educational sessions for either group with one admission price. As usual, our instructors are the best of the best. You will earn Professional Development Hours by attending the technical sessions and any of our full-day courses.
Full-Day Courses
Getting to Know RUSLE2
Presented by: David Lightle, CPESC #651
Stream Restoration Planning and Design:
Essential Basics for the Erosion Control Professionals
Presented by: Dr. David Williams, PE, CFM, PH, CPESC
Navigating Stormwater Compliance with Budgets,
Schedule & Solutions
Presented by: Mary A. Larsen, TOR, QSD, CPSWQ, CPESC and Jennifer Hildebrand, CPESC, CPSWQ
Mastering the Art of Phase II MS4 Program Effectiveness
& Compliance
Presented by: J.B. Dixon, CISEC, CPESC and
Carrie Powers, CPESC
Bio-Technical Remediation and Soft Armor Installations for High Velocity Urban Channels
Presented by: Jerry Sanders, CPESC and Hector Sotelo, PE
Effective Best of the BMPs
Presented by: John McCullah, CPESC
Steep Slope Stability Analysis
Presented by: Stanley Miller, PE, CPESC
Over 115 Technical Sessions
Inspiring case studies, thought-provoking forums, and original research make up Environmental Connection 2015’s technical sessions. Learn proven techniques to help you stay ahead in a competitive market. These sessions are included with the purchase of any conference pass. The sessions are presented in a variety of formats such as:
- Training Workshops
- Case Studies
- Forums
- Technical Papers
- Product Practicums
- Poster Presentations
- Half-Day Sessions
Expo Hall
We will be celebrating the Expo Hall opening at our Mardi Gras-themed Opening Reception. The exhibit hall will be much larger and have a variety of new vendors to check out. There will be a new feature in the Expo Hall this year, called the IECA Town Hall. There attendees can find our job boards (post jobs or résumés), poster sessions (where the authors will be taking time to explain their projects), the SOIL Fund silent auction, and a nice quiet area to meet with potential customers or employers. This year’s hall will be shared with the Industrial Fabrics Association International’s Geosynthetics 2015 attendees. This means one giant exhibition-all under one roof.
Special Events You Won’t Want to Miss
Keynote Breakfast
Kick off the Environmental and Geosynthetics Connection conferences with the official welcome and dual keynote presentations featuring an in-depth look at the Oso, WA, landslide, implications for the future, and the rebuilding efforts.
Oso Landslide Causes, Implications and Prevention Options
Presented by: Professor Scott Burns, Ph.D., University of Oregon
In March 2014, an incredible landslide happened about midday in rural Oso, WA (NE of Seattle), and killed 43 people. It traveled over 60 miles an hour and crossed the whole valley. It is the most devastating landslide (number of people killed) in modern American history. It occurred in an area where there had been 10 major landslides in the last 6,000 years. Geologists knew of this past history, but this knowledge was not translated to planners well, and people were allowed to live in landslide-prone areas. This landslide is being studied from many angles today: prediction, planning, mechanisms, insurance, and many more. It has become one of the most significant case histories to be studied by geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists in the last 50 years.
Reconstruction of State Route 530 After the 2014 Oso Landslide
Presented by: Shaun Stauffer, Principal, GeoEngineers, Inc.
This presentation will discuss the Oso landslide event, the resulting damage to State route 530 and associated facilities, and the emergency design and final reconstruction of the roadway.
Field Tours
IECA will offer two field tour options during Environmental Connection.
Field Tour T: Johnson Creek Stream Restoration on Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Johnson Creek is Portland’s largest tributary to the Willamette River and is home to fish species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The creek also has a long history of flooding problems causing major property damage and multiple, but unsuccessful, attempts at addressing the problems. The most significant changes occurred during the 1930s when the Works Progress Administration widened, deepened, and rock-lined 15 of the 26 miles of the creek. In 1997, the city of Portland began purchasing property along the creek from willing sellers. In 2001, the city began implementing a restoration plan to rehabilitate the watershed’s natural functions to resolve the flooding problems and improve habitat for listed fish species. Numerous projects of various types and sizes have been completed since then. Some project elements have included revegetation of riparian areas, wetland creation and enhancement associated with floodplain reconnection, bank stabilization, large woody debris habitat structures, and fish passage improvements. The field trip will include several sites showing the different types of work being performed on the creek and how the sites have evolved over time. We will be joined by local watershed restoration practitioners including design engineers, construction professionals, and stewards.
Field Tour W: Integrating Green Infrastructure in Portland on Wednesday, February 18, 2015
The city of Portland has been a leader in the development of green infrastructure (AKA low impact development) for the past two decades. The city’s initiation to green infrastructure began in the 1990s when the city was required to address combined sewer overflows (CSOs) causing sewage spills into in the Willamette River. Additional impetus for addressing stormwater quantity and quality issues were the NPDES Phase I requirements and listing of fish species in the Willamette River and tributaries under the Endangered Species Act. The Portland Stormwater Management Manual updated in January 2014 emphasizes the use of vegetated surface facilities to treat and infiltrate stormwater on the property where the stormwater runoff is created. This field trip will examine a variety of types and sizes of facilities constructed with private and public funds as well as public-private partnerships. On the field trip, we will discuss the planning process behind siting facilities, realized cost savings, direct and indirect benefits, and the city’s approach to engaging the public. The field trip will be led by representatives of the city’s Sustainable Stormwater Program.
Mardi Gras Celebration – Expo Hall Style!
Join us for a Mardi Gras Celebration as we serve appetizers and drinks in the Expo Hall on Tuesday evening to celebrate the opening of the Environmental Connection 2015 Expo Hall. Thank you to our Expo Hall Opening Reception sponsors, Phoenix Paper Products and Profile Products.
Tuesday Lunch
After a morning of education join us for lunch in the Expo Hall, which will be followed by an afternoon connecting with exhibitors (both from Environmental Connection and Geosynthetics) in our Expo Hall. The exhibit hall will be open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Wednesday Expo Hall Lunch
On the last day of the conference, grab some lunch and visit with the vendors before the Expo Hall closes. The exhibit hall will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Product Practicums
Product Practicums are back! These 30-minute sessions give attendees a chance to see the latest and greatest products and services by our vendors. This year the following companies will be demonstrating their best: Profile Products, SedCatch, Flexamat, Applegate Mulch, EvirolokWest, PermaMatrix, and Sunmark Environmental.
Learning Lab
IECA will host a Learning Lab in the Expo Hall. This gives attendees the opportunity for an interactive and engaging educational experience. The lab will be a Product Learning Lab with various companies doing live demonstrations. The products will come from companies that include Hamilton Manufacturing, Milliken, WTB, Inc., Applied Polymer Systems, datMobile, RoLanka, and Sustane Natural Fertilizer.
SOIL Fund Silent Auction
The proceeds from this event will be donated to IECA’s charitable fund, Save Our International Land (SOIL). The SOIL Fund provides a permanent funding source for programs and projects that improve environmental quality through education, research, and applied technology. The SOIL Fund Auction will be held in the Expo Hall. If you would like to donate to the auction, contact Georgina at [email protected].
Hotel & Travel Info
Conference Location
The Environmental Connection and Geosynthetics 2015 conferences will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon.
Hotel Info
IECA wants to help you plan your trip to Environmental Connection 2015 in Portland, Oregon. ConferenceDirect is the only official housing provider for the Environmental Connection & Geosynthetics 2015 Conferences. Since the conference will be held at the Oregon Convention Center, you have a variety of hotels to choose from. From now until February 5, take advantage of the IECA group rate of offered at various hotels near the Oregon Convention Center. To book your hotel reservations, visit www.ieca.org/travel.
Getting Around
Portland has a light-rail system that even connects the airport to the convention center area and surrounding hotels. The fare is approximately $5. For more information on the light rail system, visit
www.trimet.org/max.
Air Travel & Transportation
The major airport serving Portland, Oregon, is Port of Portland International Airport (PDX). View a list of airlines that serve Portland International Airport by visiting www.portofportland.com.
