Building Water Sector Natural Hazard Resilience in Montana and Neighboring States
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
In-Person Option: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM MDT (Montana Wild; Helena, MT)
Online Option: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM MDT (Zoom) Register Here!
Learning Objectives:
1. Review water availability and hydrological challenges in the Northern Great Plains region, discover local drought mitigation and source water protection planning strategies, and learn how local watershed groups are working to improve watershed health to benefit community water resources.
2. Learn how EPA’s Natural Hazard Technical Assistance can help your utility quantify risks to drought, wildfire, flooding, and other natural hazard impacts, pinpoint vulnerable assets, and identify cost-effective mitigation strategies that reduce risk and improve resilience.
3. Gain insights into federal, state, and local funding and assistance programs for water sector utilities by engaging and networking with experts.
Preliminary Agenda: Key topics are in Bold
8:30 AM Arrival & Sign-In
9:00 AM Welcome & Agenda Overview
9:10 AM Water Availability & Hydrological Challenges in the Northern Great Plains (Arin Peters, NWS)
9:40 AM Local Drought Planning & Source Water Protection (Valerie Kurth, MT DNRC)
10:00 AM Watershed Health & Management (Kristy Fortman, EPA)
10:20 AM Break
10:30 AM Intro to EPA Strengthening Water Infrastructure for Tomorrow (SWIFT) Technical Assistance (Audrey Ramming, EPA)
10:45 AM Natural Hazard Risk-Informed Planning for Water Utilities (Geneva Gray, EPA)
11:10 AM Utility Resilience-Building Case Study (TBD)
11:30 AM Resilient Infrastructure Funding & Implementation Pathways (Emily Gillespie, EPA)
12:00 PM Lunch (Online Sessions End)
1:00 PM Peer Sharing: “Utilities in Action” (Small Group Activity)
1:20 PM Break
1:30 PM Speed Consulting Rotations: Resilience, Funding & Assistance Programs Networking Session (Interactive Activity)
2:55 PM Closing Remarks, Resource Highlights, Next Steps
3:00 PM Adjourn
Scan QR Code to Register or Click Here
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) available