Program Highlights

Committee Meetings 

Committee meetings on Monday are an important part of the Annual Conference. Committees will meet at various times on Monday, April 30 (schedule).  All Conference participants are welcome to attend these committee meetings.

Opening Session

Monday's Opening Session from 5 pm to 6 pm will highlight USSD and ICOLD activities  and initiatives. The Kickoff Reception will follow in the Exhibition Hall.

Technical Program 

The Technical Program begins with a Plenary Session on Tuesday morning. Several invited plenary presentations will focus on recent extreme events and other topics related to the following themes:

Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday will feature six concurrent technical sessions, including more than 150 oral presentations.  Additional presentations will be featured during the poster session on Tuesday evening. Concurrent sessions include: 

Sustainability	Earthquakes
Oroville Spillway Incident	Tailings Dams and CCR
Embankment Dams	Concrete Dams
Construction: River Diversions	Foundations
Dam Safety	Levees
Underwater Construction	ICOLD Environmental Program
H&H: Reservoir Sediment Management	H&H: Calibration and Validation
H&H: Dam Break and Reservoir Modeling	H&H: Spillway Modeling
H&H: Big Floods and Spillways	Environment: Habitat and Species
Rehabilitation	Water Quality and Supply
Levees: Hurricane Harvey	Public Safety and Security for Dams
Dam Decommissioning	Asphalt Core Dams and Chimney Hollow Dam
Monitoring

Workshops

Six workshops will take place on Thursday, May 3, and are included in the conference registration fee.

Half-day workshops (morning):

Everglades Restoration                                                           

Words Hold Water – Raising the Communication Bar in the Dams and Levees Industry, presented by the USSD Young Professional Committee 

Full-day workshops:

Evaluation of Numerical Models and Input Parameters in the Analysis of Concrete Dams, presented by the USSD Concretes and Earthquakes Committees

Construction of Cutoff Walls for Levees and Small Embankment Dams, presented by the USSD Committee on Construction and Rehabilitation and the Committee on Levees

Cutting-Edge Rapid Flood Modeling: Hands-On with DSS-WISE™ Lite, presented by the National Center for Computational Hydroscience and Engineering, University of Mississippi

Third Workshop on Case Histories in Dam Safety Risk-Informed Decision Making, presented by the USSD Dam Safety Committee, Risk Subcommittee 

Field Tours

Two field tours organized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will provide interesting opportunities to learn about the unique water-related environment in south Florida.  Space is limited on both field tours, so register early. One motorcoach on each tour will drop passengers at Miami International Airport at the end of the tour for those with late flights; do not schedule flights before 8 pm.

Foreign participants will require security clearances from the Corps of Engineers. Foreign participants should register as soon as possible, but no later than April 20, and will be contacted for passport information.

Tamiami Trail: Thursday, 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm

A half-day tour on Thursday afternoon will visit the Tamiami Trail, part of the Florida Everglades restoration project. Tamiami Trail modifications include construction of 2.6 miles of bridging and roadway improvements to enhance water conveyance to the Everglades National Park.

                    

                                                                  Tamiami Trail Bridge

       

Herbert Hoover Dike: Friday, 8 am to 6 pm. The day-long Friday tour will feature the Herbert Hoover Dike, a 143-mile-long earthen dam that surrounds Lake Okeechobee, the heart of the Everglades system.  Various construction projects designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic failure of the aging structure are ongoing.  More details

Fun and Networking Opportunities  

Attending the USSD Conference provides educational opportunities and after attending a day of technical sessions, relax with some Miami flavored fun.

Sunset Over Miami

This fun outdoor party celebrates our collaborative friendship with the western hemisphere national committees known as INCA (the ICOLD National Committees of the Americas). The Hyatt’s riverfront terrace is the perfect venue to enjoy Latin-inspired food, music and entertainment in a festive atmosphere.

Marlins Baseball Game

You won’t want to miss this fun ending to the technical conference.  Enjoy a little bit of a South Beach vibe at Marlins Park overlooking right field, including a private reserved area with 10 TVs, three bars, buffet dinner and limited seating to watch the Marlins take on the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Continuous motorcoach shuttles will operate from 5:30 pm until the end of the game to transport participants to and from the ballpark, about two miles from the Hyatt.  Participation is limited to the first 400 attendees who sign up via the registration form.

Young Professionals Networking Opportunities

All YPs are invited to attend the meeting of the USSD Committee on Young Professionals on Monday to provide insight regarding future initiatives and conferences. A YP Networking Social will be held on Tuesday from 8-10 pm, at Area 31, in the Epic Hotel across the street from the Hyatt Regency. The outdoor terrace will be the perfect casual setting to network with YPs and others who have an interest in connecting with YPs.  A private luncheon for YPs and invited seasoned professionals will be held on Wednesday, and is intended as a first step in the development of a USSD mentorship program. Space is limited to the first 80 YPs who register for this exclusive event on the conference registration form. 

5K FUNds Run/Walk 

The fourth annual  5K FUNds Run/Walk to support the USSD Scholarship Fund will be held on Wednesday, May 2. Start your morning with your favorite USSD running buddies to get some circulation going before sitting in technical sessions. The event will begin at 6:30 am on a course that begins at the Hyatt (course description); or sign up to be a virtual runner, and your donation will go directly to the scholarship fund.

Contribute a minimum of $250 to the USSD Scholarship Fund and your logo/name will be displayed as a 5K Sponsor on the Conference website and publicity poster. Contributions to the fund can be made any time prior to the Conference. Make your donation here.

You can sign up and pay for the 5K on your registration form.  To pay the 5K registration fee separately from your conference registration, you may register for the 5K only here.

The cost is $30 until April 20, and $40 after April 20 and at the door.  Proceeds benefit the USSD Scholarship Fund.

                         VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR 5K EVENT                                  Contact Georgette Hlepas at Georgette.Hlepas@usace.army.mil.  Volunteers receive one-day access to conference on the day they volunteer.

Exhibition

An Exhibition will be held for organizations wishing to showcase their products and services to a wide range of professionals involved in dams, levees and water resources.

The Exhibition is SOLD OUT!  

Floorplan and Exhibitors (pdf)

The fee for rental of exhibit space includes standard pipe and drape and identification sign, provided by Freeman Exposition, Inc.  Additional items such as tables, chairs, wastebaskets, technology or electricity are available to the Exhibitor at additional cost and may be ordered through Freeman here. 

Booth reservations also include up to five staff registrations, with access to all activities on the exhibition floor, including receptions, breaks and lunches, as well as the Tuesday night Sunset over Miami party.  Additional information is available on the booth reservation website.

Exhibitor staff who wish to attend the Monday committee meetings, conference technical sessions, workshops, field tours and baseball game should register as full conference participants (to the left).

Sponsorships

Sponsorships are available that provide enhanced exposure before, during, and after the conference. For opportunities click here.

Conference Registration

The Conference Registration Fee for the Annual Meeting and Conference includes:

• Online access to Conference Proceedings
• Technical sessions
• Monday committee meetings
• Monday evening kick-off reception
• Continental breakfasts, lunches and coffee breaks Tuesday and Wednesday
• Tuesday evening reception and poster session
• Sunset Over Miami outdoor party Tuesday night
• Baseball game on Wednesday evening (limited to first 450 registrations)
• Thursday lunch
• Thursday Workshop or Field Tour (limited to 150 participants)
• Friday Field Tour, with lunch (limited to 150 participants)

The early registration fee is $925 for USSD Members and $1,025 for non-members (on or before March 15– save $100!). A Young Professional Fee of $650 is available to participants age 35 and younger. The author/presenter fee is $875 or $975 after 3/15.. One-day and two-day registration fees are also available for those who can’t attend the entire Conference. Workshop-only registration fees are $125 (half day) and $250 (full day)

Cancellation Policy: To receive a refund, USSD must receive notice of cancellation by the end of business on April 20. All refunds are subject to a $25 processing fee. After April 20, the registration fee is not refundable, but substitutions are acceptable.                        

Guest Program and Registration

Guest registration is for spouses or partners of registered participants.  Access to the technical program is not included. The $365 Guest Registration Fee includes:

• Monday Evening Kick-Off Reception
• Continental Breakfasts on Tuesday and Wednesday
• Meet and Mingle Event on Tuesday morning in the Hyatt Regency
• Reception on Tuesday evening
• Sunset Over Miami outdoor party Tuesday night
• Baseball game on Wednesday evening (limited to first 450 registrations)
• Lunch and Field Tour on Thursday afternoon (limited to first 150 registrations)
• Field Tour and lunch on Friday (limited to first 150 registrations)

Hotel Reservations 

All Conference activities will take place in the downtown Miami Hyatt Regency and the connected Miami Convention Center. Overlooking the Miami River, the Hyatt Regency Miami is a landmark hotel with easy access to popular attractions, like Brickell City Center, Wynwood Art District, Coral Gables, Port of Miami, and the Latin flavor of Little Havana.  The USSD room block is sold out, but you may make reservations at the prevailing rate here, or by calling 305-358-1234. 

USSD Gives Back

USSD is proud to support local STEM programs in each community where we hold our annual conference. Our 2018 recipient organization is Manifezt Foundation, a local non-profit founded in 2015 with the mission of providing free STEM focused education to 8-18 year old students. Manifezt efforts are focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities throughout South Florida.

You have the opportunity to donate $10 to this worthy cause on the conference registration form. Additional donations are accepted here.

Continuing Education Units

Colorado State University, Division of Continuing Education, will grant CEUs after successful completion of the Conference and/or a Workshop. CEU information will be available at the Conference. Professional Development Hour certificates will be provided during the conference.

Author/Presenter Information      

Drafts Due	December 1, 2017
Review Comments	February 5, 2018
Final Papers Due	March 15, 2018
Conference	April 30-May 4, 2018

Authors/Speakers/Presenters: When preparing your PowerPoint presentation, please refer to the Presentation Guidelines.

Poster Presentation Guidelines

Poster Presentation Sample PowerPoint Template