Water@Michigan 2026: Water + Energy will bring together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community leaders to examine how water systems and the energy transition are reshaping Michigan, the Great Lakes region, and beyond.

Theme: Water + Energy
📅 Thursday, April 9, 2026
🕑 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
📍Palmer Commons, Ann Arbor

The symposium will highlight the growing connections between water and energy in infrastructure, governance, and community outcomes. Participants will explore how these links can be strengthened to create more resilient, equitable, and sustainable systems.

Through keynotes, workshops, lightning talks, and student posters, attendees will collaborate across disciplines to envision the future of water, energy, and the Great Lakes. Sessions will emphasize how research, practice, and policy can align to address urgent and emerging water challenges.

We are especially pleased to welcome a distinguished group of featured speakers, including Whitney Gravelle, President of the Bay Mills Indian Community; Jeremy Rifkin, bestselling author of Planet Aqua; Shalanda Baker, Vice President for Sustainability and Climate Action, University of Michigan; and U.S. Senator Gary Peters.

Full details are available on the registration page. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

This event is presented by Water@Michigan with support from the U-M Water Center, the School for Environment and Sustainability, the Graham Sustainability Institute, the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, LSA Earth & Environmental Sciences, the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, and the U-M Arts Initiative.

You can register for the event on the Water Center website: https://graham.umich.edu/wateratmichigan/2026