The Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum –
a meeting of all the minds in our basin.
Since 2004, the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum has been a strategic incubator for cross-border research, management collaboration, networking and communication.
The Foundation leads a partnership of agencies to organize the Forum each year. Attended each year by upwards of 160 research and resource managers, the Forum is the "hub" for all groups working to ensure the future ecological integrity of the waters of the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Basin.
- Todd Sellers, Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation
- Jesse Anderson, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Mike Kennedy, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
- Andrew Paterson, Ontario Ministry of Environment Conservation and Parks
- Lucas King, Territorial Planning Unit, Grand Council Treaty 3
- Kayla Bowe, Red Lake Department of Natural Resources
- Ryan Maki, Voyageurs National Park
- Kelly Sjerven, Minnesota North College - Rainy River campus
- Diana Fred, Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Matt Julius, Minnesota St. Cloud State University
- Kelli Saunders
- Teika Newton, Lake of the Woods Water Sustainability Foundation
Limited travel support may be available to assist postgraduate students to present their research at the Forum, from the Deborah Battigelli Memorial Fund at the Foundation. Support is typically offered for up to one student per year. To receive support through the fund, a candidate's research abstracts must be accepted for presentation at the Forum. To apply, contact Todd Sellers, Executive Director, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Battigelli family established the Deborah Battigelli Memorial Fund at LOWWSF to honour Deborah’s love of life at the lake and her interest to preserve the lake area for future generations to continue to enjoy what she loved. The Fund assists the up-and-coming generation of scientists with their research on our lakes with limited travel support to present their research at the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum.
Read more: Deborah Battigelli Memorial Fund - Student Support
2023 International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum is returning to an in-person event this coming March!
Location: Minnesota North College - Rainy River campus, International Falls, MN (formerly known as the Rainy River Community College).
Date: March 8–9, 2023
Overview: Professional symposium for research and resource managers, policy makers and the public interested in the Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed
Proceedings Reports of the annual International Rainy-Lake of the Woods Watershed Forum are available from 2006 onward, here: Forum Proceedings
A huge thank you to St. Cloud State University for doing everything we needed to take the Forum virtual this year.
A special "shout out" from us to St. Cloud U's Reuben Wagenius, ITV/Video Conferencing Guru, and Matt Julius, Professor for all their work to make the video-conference possible.
A huge thank you to St. Cloud State University for doing everything we needed to take the Forum virtual this year.
A special "shout out" from us to St. Cloud U's Reuben Wagenius, ITV/Video Conferencing Guru, and Matt Julius, Professor for all their work to make the video-conference possible.