**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE 2024 OGALLALA AQUIFER SUMMIT, TO BE HELD MARCH 18-19, 2024, IN LIBERAL, KANSAS IS DESIGNED BY A CORE COMMITTEE REPRESENTING ALL EIGHT OGALLALA STATES (SOUTH DAKOTA, NEBRASKA, WYOMING, COLORADO, KANSAS, OKLAHOMA, NEW MEXICO, TEXAS). USING KEYNOTES, PANELS, AND INTERACTIVE FACILITATED DIALOGUES, THE SUMMIT WILL SUPPORT INTEGRATED AWARENESS OF KEY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND AGRICULTURAL AND COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY, HIGHLIGHTING A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO ADDRESS THE REGION'S CRITICAL WATER-RELATED CHALLENGES. PROGRESS CATALYZED BY PREVIOUS OGALLALA AQUIFER SUMMITS, SUCH AS THE EXPANSION OF MASTER IRRIGATOR PROGRAMS ACROSS THE HIGH PLAINS, WILL ALSO BE FEATURED. AS WITH PREVIOUS SUMMITS, THIS EVENT WILL BE DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THE EXPANSION OF TRUSTED NETWORKS AND MOTIVATE GREATER COLLABORATION WITHIN AND ACROSS STATE LINES ON EFFORTS TO SLOW OR STALL AQUIFER DECLINES IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITIES, ECONOMIES AND ECOSYSTEMS THAT DEPEND ON THE AQUIFER. USING TARGETED OUTREACH, THE SUMMIT COMMITTEE EXPECTS TO ATTRACT ~300 PARTICIPANTS TO THE 2024 EVENT REPRESENTING HIGHLY DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERTISE.EXAMPLE CENTRAL QUESTIONS RELATED TO RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION USED AT THE SUMMIT USED TO DRIVE DISCUSSION, AWARENESS AND MOTIVATE COMMITMENTS TO ACTION MAY INCLUDE:WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE IN THE OGALLALA REGION LOOK LIKE WITHOUT OR WITH REDUCED IRRIGATION WATER? WHAT KINDS OF CHANGES ARE WATER USERS ABLE AND WILLING TO MAKE, AND WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DO THEY NEED TO MAKE THOSE SHIFTS?WHAT STRATEGIES AND EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES ARE NEEDED OR SHOULD BE SCALED/ADAPTED TO GROW FUNCTIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF WATER RISK AS PART OF CLIMATE RISK AND ECONOMIC RISK FOR AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS AND AGRICULTURALLY-DRIVEN SUPPLY CHAINS AND ECONOMIES?WHAT KINDS OF EXISTING OR NOVEL INCENTIVES, POLICY, AND DATA VISUALIZATION TOOLS CAN DRIVE OR ARE NEEDED TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SUPPORT SOIL, ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION, FARM PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITYTHIS EVENT WILL BUILD ON THE MODEL OF TWO PREVIOUS OGALLALA AQUIFER SUMMITS HELD IN 2018 (IN GARDEN CITY, KS HTTPS://OGALLALAWATER.ORG/2018-OGALLALA-AQUIFER-SUMMIT/) AND 2021 (VIRTUAL, HTTPS://OGALLALAWATER.ORG/2021-OGALLALA-AQUIFER-SUMMIT/), WHICH EACH INVOLVED ~250 DIVERSE PARTICIPANTS AND PARTNERS FROM THE 8-STATE OGALLALA AQUIFER REGION AND BEYOND. THOSE TWO PREVIOUS SUMMIT EVENTS WERE MADE POSSIBLE IN PART THANKS TO A COMMITMENT TO MULTISTATE ENGAGEMENT AND EXCHANGE FOSTERED BY THE USDA-NIFA FUNDED OGALLALA WATER COORDINATED AGRICULTURE PROJECT (2016-2021, AWARD NUMBER 2016-68007-25066). BASED ON REGIONAL INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THE SUMMIT AS AN ONGOING ACTIVITY, OUR TEAM REQUESTS $50,000 FROM THE IBCE CONFERENCE GRANTS PROGRAM TO SUPPORT THE NEXT SUMMIT EVENT PLANNED FOR 2024.