Lakebed 2030 Conference

September 15–17, 2026 | Traverse City, Michigan

The 2026 conference will focus on the scientific, economic, and environmental value associated with the high-resolution mapping of the Great Lakes and will take place at the Hagerty Center at Northwestern Michigan College's Great Lakes Campus, 715 E. Front Street, Traverse City, Michigan.

What is lakebed 2030?

An annual conference that brings industry professionals together from science, research, policy, government, and industry to:

Focus on high-resolution mapping data in the Great Lakes
Develop strategies to catalog lakebed information for shared use
Showcase the latest technology advancements

Why mapping the Great Lakes matters!

The Great Lakes region represents 27% of the combined U.S. and Canadian population and 28% of the Canadian and U.S. economic activity.

They hold 21% of the world’s freshwater and supply 40 million people with drinking water.

The Great Lakes region has a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of over $6 trillion and is home to more than 30 million jobs.

Less than 15% of the Great Lakes have been mapped

Understanding and solving the complex issues across the watershed will require ingenuity, innovation, and collaboration. Addressing these issues will require an understanding and knowledge of the waters within the watershed.