As we stand on the cusp of a new calendar year, Ogallala Commons invites you to register for our upcoming regional education event, a "Conference on Community Water" on February 24-25, 2026, at the Hereford Civic Center in Hereford, TX.

The conference starts with afternoon field tours from 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm on February 24th, followed by a full-day of conference presentations and exhibits from 9:00 am - 4:30 pm on February 25th, and is presented by Ogallala Commons, with funding support provided by a dozen partner organizations.

Purpose of the Conference:

For more than a century, human communities on the Southern Plains have lived by extracting large amounts of water from local landscapes.  But going forward, our well-being and survival will depend on how well we keep water circulating in the landscapes: finding ways to rehydrate our soils, our streambeds and grasslands.

"We will not meet these daunting challenges simply by working individually but only through collective efforts and shared strategies," according to Darryl Birkenfeld, Ogallala Commons Director Emeritus. "Our conference will take an in-depth look at how residents of Hereford, TX and Deaf Smith County can create an ambitious plan to provide long-term water for human and natural communities, serving as a model for restoring ecosystem functions so that the aquifer is recharged, landscapes are rehydrated, and agricultural livelihoods remain viable."

In addition to more than ten sessions featuring 17 speakers (click on link to Conference Schedule and Speaker Bios below), on Wednesday, February 25th, the conference will offer three Field Tours on Tuesday afternoon, February 24th, conducted in the Hereford area (make sure you chose a tour when registering), including an evening lecture (delivered in Spanish with a translation in English) which is free and open to the public. as well as exhibits during break sessions, and a closing small group segment on Friday afternoon to involve attendees in building strategies for regenerating our water resources.

Click on the Registration button below, and before February 1st, you can get the Early Registration price of $50 Single-Day or $60 for both days! 

On Feb. 1st, the Regular Registration price is $60 Single-Day or $75 for both days.

Registration at the door is $90.

Please contact Darryl Birkenfeld by email at darryl@ogallalacommons.org, or by phone at for scholarship availability or with registration questions.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Conference Schedule: https://ogallalacommons.org/conference/#schedule

Speaker Bios: https://ogallalacommons.org/conference/#bios

Registration Form: https://events.humanitix.com/conference-on-community-water

Sponsorship Guide: https://ogallalacommons.org/conference/#sponsorship

To lean more about playas, watch this video, "The Water of Oasis of the High Plains": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hb-rkDujcU