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The annual conference offers scholars and historians the opportunity to present on a wide variety of topics in Utah history. Note that the presenters' views are not necessarily those of the Utah State Historical Society or the Utah Division of State History.

Keynote Address 

Gregory E. Smoak, The Confluence of Water, History, and the Public in Utah 

Water has always been the critical resource in Utah and the American West. Now more than ever—as our state grapples with rapid population growth, an ongoing “mega-drought,” and the worsening impacts of climate change—understanding Utah’s water history is essential for an informed public. In this keynote address, Gregory Smoak, director of the University of Utah’s American West Center and Utah Humanities State Scholar for the Think Water Utah project, will explore the historical contexts of several of the most critical issues facing Utahns as they consider their present and future waterways.