On April 3, 2025, the Defiance Research Alliance and the Maumee Watershed Alliance successfully hosted the Land to Lake Conference: Partnerships for Practical Solutions, a full-day event that brought together 75 experts and leaders in the field to discuss innovative conservation strategies in the Western Lake Erie Basin at Defiance College.
The conference drew together experts, leaders, and stakeholders from various sectors to discuss innovative strategies for conservation and collaboration in the Maumee Watershed. Throughout the day, attendees engaged with prominent speakers who shared insights on partnership possibilities. Including:
- Keynote speaker of the day, Dr. Chris Winslow, Director of the Ohio Sea Grant and the Ohio State University Stone Laboratory, discussed the state of Lake Erie, what we have learned, and the partnerships that are necessary for making a cleaner Lake in the future.
- Dan Wire and Jacquelyn Buck from the Maumee Watershed Alliance presented on collaborative efforts and their Farmer Input Series,
- Matt Fisher from the Lake Erie Foundation highlighted successful partnerships with farmers for phosphorus reduction with targeted edge-of-field filters.
- Scott Singer, a third-generation Defiance Farmer, presented a conservation ditch project where a linear wetland was created.
- Innovation in Conservation Panel: Hannah Allen, Fort Wayne Utilities, Stephanie Singer, The Nature Conservancy, Mikila Cook, Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Mike Werling, Maumee Watershed Alliance, moderated by Julie Good, discussed ways they are working to create practices and projects to improve water quality in urban and rural spaces.
- Innovation in Water Monitoring Panel: Discussing the impact of innovative monitoring practices on understanding water quality.With Joe Ewers, City of Defiance, Kyle Verhoff, Ohio Extension, Siena Larrick, Kent State, and Jessie Stock, Partners for Clean Streams, moderated by Julie Good, discussed monitoring strategies and practices that are being used to understand water quality.
Participants also had the opportunity to visit a Watershed Gallery, which featured 15 organizations dedicated to improving water quality and conservation. Each organization showcased its mission and explored potential future partnerships..
