Missouri River Basin Needs Assessment Workshop

Exploring NASA solutions to key water issues in the Missouri

Overview

The Missouri River Basin is expected to undergo significant impacts to water availability due to changing precipitation patterns, increasing temperatures and a growing population. NASA WWAO is hosting a Needs Assessment Workshop in Omaha, NE, in March 2023 to explore the Basin’s unique water issues as it experiences the pressing challenges of increasing demand and changing supply.

The goals of this event are to:

Identify opportunities where remote-sensing data could complement existing systems and facilitate key water-management decisions;
Discuss data needs and information gaps in the Missouri River Basin;
Identify ways in which NASA may be able to assist in meeting these needs;
Develop use-case scenarios for the Missouri River Basin.

Previous needs assessments conducted by NASA WWAO in other western basins have documented a variety of use cases for NASA data (reports are listed at the bottom of this page). The use cases derived from other regions cover topics ranging from forecasting and monitoring water availability, use and quality to watershed health to responding to extreme events such as floods and drought. High-priority use cases in the Missouri River Basin may form the basis of future WWAO awards, partnerships and initiatives.

When and Where

Tuesday, March 14 – Thursday, March 16, 2023

In person at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District, 222 N 10th St, Omaha, NE 68102. Rooms: Capitol 3 and 4.

Registration

The Needs Assessment Workshop is by invitation only. Registrations must be received by February 21, 2023.

Reach out to Julie Molacek at julie.molacek@hdrinc.com or (402) 399-1458 with any questions.

Agenda

The Needs Assessment Workshop agenda is here. The workshop spans three days, with half-day sessions on days 1 and 3. Attendance on days 1 and 2 of the workshop is required for participation. A social event will be held at the end of day 1.

Pre-Workshop Webinar

Workshop attendees were asked to participate in a webinar a month before the event, on February 15, 2023, to help prepare them for the in-person gathering. The goal of the webinar was to:

Familiarize attendees with WWAO and NASA’s Earth science program;
Introduce participants to the use-case approach that will be adopted during the workshop, in preparation for building use cases during break-out groups.

A recording of the webinar can be found below.

Logistics

Venue and Accommodation

The workshop will be held at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District, 222 N 10th St, Omaha, NE 68102.

For those in need of lodging during the workshop, there is a block room rate ($143/night plus taxes) at the Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District. Reserve your room here by February 21, 2023. These rooms can also be reserved by calling 1-844-696-3779 and referencing "HDR WWAO Missouri River Basin Needs Assessment".

PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to book the government rate ($110/night plus taxes) for this workshop, you will need to book your room separately through the Marriott website. Once you book your room, please send your confirmation number to julie.molacek@hdrinc.com so we can apply your room to our block.

Parking

For overnight guests parking at the Marriott Downtown, self-parking will cost $16/day. Valet parking is $29/night.

Daily parking is available at the Park Omaha Garage on 15th and Douglas Street (approximately 0.5 miles from the Marriott) for $10/day. The Park Omaha website has additional information.

Transportation

The Omaha Marriott Downtown at the Capitol District is located approximately 4.5 miles from Eppley Airfield in Omaha, NE. It is in the north part of downtown Omaha, within walking distance of several restaurants, bars and entertainment options. For those flying into Eppley Airfield, options for ground transportation include:

Rental Car: If you wish to pick up a rental car, counters are located in the customer service building. Cars for pick up are located on the first and second floor of the North Garage. Additional rental car information can be found here.
Ride App: If you wish to use a ride app for transportation to the Marriott, the pick-up area is located on the ground floor of the South Garage. Additional ride app pick-up information can be found here.
Taxi: Taxis are located at the center island of the terminal roadway across from door 3. Additional taxi information can be found here.
Local Transportation: The ground transportation center for additional car services and shuttles is located inside door 3 on the lower level of the terminal building. Additional information can be found here.