Talk+Water: Recent Episodes
Texas+Water
Talk+Water takes a deep dive into the world of water with those making the waves. Every month, Todd H. Votteler, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water, interviews a special guest making a unique contribution in the water profession.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Ivo Zution Gonçalves, a Research Assistant Professor for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, about the current status and future of irrigated agriculture in the United States.
Ivo Zution Gonçalves is an agronomist engineer with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the State University of Campinas in Brazil and a master’s degree in Plant Production from the Federal University of Espírito Santo in Brazil. His work focuses on applying remote sensing, evapotranspiration modeling, irrigation management, and crop modeling to support food and water security without compromising water use for other vital human and environmental needs. He has published approximately 50 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and has contributed to several international projects focused on water resources management, irrigation, and sustainable agricultural systems.
Read Gonçalves’ new article, “Irrigated Agriculture in the United States: Current Status and Future Frontiers,” published in Agricultural Water Management: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377426002003.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Ryan Smith, Director of Water and Science for The Nature Conservancy in Texas, about the Sustainable Rivers Program and its work to improve river health through changes in dam operations.
Ryan is a freshwater ecologist with more than 25 years of professional experience in freshwater conservation. He leads a team implementing statewide freshwater conservation strategies, including water-efficient and regenerative agriculture, environmental water transactions, environmental flows, watershed protection and restoration, and groundwater and surface water management and policy. Ryan is The Nature Conservancy’s Texas lead for the Sustainable Rivers Program, a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve the health and life of rivers by changing the Corps’ dam operations.
Before moving to Texas, Ryan worked for The Nature Conservancy’s global water team and regional science teams, where he supported freshwater projects across the U.S., Mexico, and Central America. He has a Master of Science in fisheries and wildlife sciences from Virginia Tech and a Bachelor of Science in fisheries and wildlife biology from Colorado State University.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Brian Sheng, CEO and a Co-Founder of Aquaria, about atmospheric water generation and its potential role in Texas’ water future.
Aquaria is a corporation that builds air-water infrastructure to produce scalable water systems that create clean drinking water from the air. Brian headquartered Aquaria in Austin, Texas, in 2024 to focus the company on meeting the rising water crisis in Texas.
While attending Princeton University, Brian wrote his thesis on atmospheric water generation. Brian was honored as a member of the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2024, and Aquaria was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024. Brian is an entrepreneur and investor who has founded and led multiple companies and investment ventures across technology, consumer products, and emerging industries.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses dam removals and river restoration with Beth Lambert, Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration.
The Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration is part of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. As Director, Beth oversees a 30-person agency whose mission is to restore and protect rivers, wetlands, and watersheds for the benefit of people and the environment. Division of Ecological Restoration staff work with communities, landowners, nonprofit organizations, and state and federal agencies on projects that restore habitat and help people and nature adapt to climate change.
Over the past 20 years, the Division of Ecological Restoration has removed more than 70 dams in partnership with federal, state, municipal, and NGO organizations. Beth has 25 years of experience in river and watershed restoration in Oregon, Alaska, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Josh Katz, attorney with Bickerstaff Heath, about a recent Texas Supreme Court decision on produced water ownership and its implications for water rights and policy.
Josh practices in the areas of municipal law, environmental law, administrative law, water law, electric utility regulation, and civil litigation. He represents municipalities, river authorities, water districts, and private entities in these and related matters before state agencies and in state and federal courts. Before joining Bickerstaff Heath in 2010, Josh was an associate with a large Austin law firm and an environmental and property law litigation boutique. He researched and drafted publications and other documents while clerking at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Jones McClure Publishing Company, where he drafted and edited various O’Connor’s legal publications.
For a deeper dive into this topic, read his legal review published in the Texas Water Journal: https://twj-ojs-tdl.tdl.org/twj/article/view/7233.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Dr. Margaret Cook, Vice President of Water & Community Resilience at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), about water use of data centers in Texas.
Margaret leads a team of experts who build collaborative initiatives to enhance community resilience, sustainable development, and the availability and affordability of clean water. She is a seasoned sustainability leader with a proven record of innovative research and solution development. With a strong foundation in engineering, policy, and the water-energy-climate nexus, she has successfully collaborated with diverse stakeholders to address critical challenges in these sectors, co-developing programs with communities and prioritizing those with the greatest need. Margaret’s research focuses on developing and implementing solutions for water resource management, energy access and affordability, and climate adaptation.
Margaret earned a Doctorate in Civil Engineering with a certificate in Engineering Education, a Master's degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, all from the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. She also holds a dual Master's degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, examines how failed P-13 wells, which are former oil and gas wells converted for water use, can fall outside regulatory oversight and create risks for Texas groundwater, with Sarah Stogner, District Attorney for the Texas 143rd Judicial District, and Dr. Ron Green, retired hydrologist.
Sarah Stogner is the elected District Attorney for the 143rd Judicial District in rural West Texas. A West Texas landowner herself, she has become one of the state’s most vocal advocates for holding the oil and gas industry accountable for improperly plugged legacy wells—known as “zombie wells”—that threaten land, water, and property rights across Texas. She is the founder of Zombie Wells, a platform that connects affected landowners with regulatory data and legal resources. In 2022, Sarah ran for Texas Railroad Commissioner, advancing to the Republican primary runoff in a race that sharpened her focus on the Commission’s chronic failure to enforce plugging obligations and pursue successor liability against the majors. She brings a ground-level perspective that combines courtroom experience, regulatory policy knowledge, and the firsthand reality of owning land in oil country.
Dr. Ron Green is a retired hydrologist, formerly with the Southwest Research Institute and the consulting firm, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber. He has specialized in groundwater hydrology and environmental geophysics, with a focus on water resource assessment and karst hydrology. He has volunteered on the state board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy in Texas, serving as chair of its Conservation and Science Committee. He has also served as board chair for the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance.
For a deeper dive into this topic, read their paper published in the Texas Water Journal: https://twj-ojs-tdl.tdl.org/twj/article/view/7212.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses the role of journalism and storytelling in advancing water solutions with Travis Loop, founder of the waterloop, an award-winning nonprofit news outlet exploring water sustainability.
Travis began his career as a newspaper reporter and returned to his passion for journalism to launch and operate the platform. He brings more than 20 years of experience, including serving as communications director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Environment Federation, and the Chesapeake Bay Program, as well as speechwriter for the Governor of Hawaii.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses the National Water Availability Assessment project, with Dr. Ted Stets, a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), who is leading the assessment. The assessment project is tasked with producing a comprehensive, integrated assessment of the nation’s water availability.
The first National Water Assessment was published in January 2025; a supplement will be published at the end of 2026, and updates to the report are scheduled every five years thereafter.
Stets received a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2007, working on carbon and nutrient cycling in surface waters. His work at the USGS has focused on catchment hydrology and elemental cycling, as well as on the former National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), which officially ended in 2018 after a 30-year run. Ted lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses how investors and companies are confronting water-related financial risks with Kristen James, Senior Water Program Director at Ceres.
Kirsten directs Ceres' strategy supporting investors and companies in addressing challenges facing our freshwater systems. Her work includes leading the Valuing Water Finance Initiative, a global effort to support investors working with companies to reduce financial risks stemming from water scarcity, pollution, and damage to freshwater ecosystems.
Previously, Kirsten served for five years as the director of California policy and partnerships at Ceres, where she led strategy development for Ceres’s California-focused policy work, engaging companies and investors in support of public policies that call for sustainable water management, clean energy, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions in California.
Prior to Ceres, Kirsten worked for a water resource-focused NGO as its Science and Policy Director. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in environmental science and management from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
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In this conversation recorded on February 6, 2025, Brian Richter, President of Sustainable Waters, trades places with Talk+Water host, Dr. Todd H. Votteler, to interview him about "Water Markets for Texas." In 2025, Texas 2036 published "Water Markets for Texas" a major multi-year report analyzing how voluntary, well-structured water markets have operated in two regions of the state and what lessons they offer for any Texas communities preparing for its long-term water needs.
The report, authored by Votteler with contributions from Gabriel Collins, J.D., and Dr. Matthew Berg, draws on five decades of hydrologic data, regulatory analysis and interviews with Texas water managers, groundwater leaders, and Western water experts to understand the conditions that enable regional markets to function and why those conditions exist in only a few parts of Texas today. The report goes beyond Texas with lessons for establishing of new water markets that are applicable in other states.
Votteler is a former federal special master and river authority executive with expertise in conflict resolution, stakeholder engagement, and policy development. Votteler is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water, and the host of the Talk+Water podcast. He is a Fellow of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, a Visiting Scholar at The Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin, and a Board Member for the Whitefish Lake Institute.
Brian Richter has been a global leader in water science and conservation for more than 30 years. He is the President of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges, where he promotes sustainable water use and management with governments, corporations, universities, and local communities. He previously served as Director of the Global Water Program of The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. Brian has consulted on more than 170 water projects worldwide. He serves as a water advisor to some of the world’s largest corporations, investment banks, and the United Nations, and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. He teaches Water Sustainability at the University of Virginia.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses water issues with Margot Molloy, Director of CK Blueshift, Cam Wobus, Principal at CK Blueshift, and Emily Lewis, Partner at Culp & Kelly.
Margot Molloy is the Director of CK Blueshift a strategist, a facilitator and an executive coach that works with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, public agencies, and foundations. Her areas of expertise include launching complex new initiatives, orchestrating cross-sector collaboration to shape actionable strategies, and supporting leadership in transition.
Cam Wobus is a Principal at C.K. Blueshift and a broadly trained earth scientist with expertise in hydrology, geomorphology, climate change, and economics. He supports clients with the quantification and monetization of climate change impacts on flood risk, water availability, and ecosystem health. He maintains a research affiliation at the University of Colorado, where he continues grant-funded research on behalf of the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
Finally, Emily Lewis is a veteran of Talk+Water. Emily is a Partner at Culp & Kelly where she assists clients in navigating and solving complex water problems. She regularly advises water right owners, municipalities, investors, agricultural users, and non-governmental organizations. Emily’s work focuses on designing and implementing practical solutions that secure client’s water resiliency in the face of challenging and changing conditions. Emily hosts a popular water podcast, Ripple Effect– A Podcast Putting Water in Context.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, moderates the 2025 Public Administration Symposium at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.
On October 29, 2025, at the invitation of Professor Frank Rohmer, I provided the keynote talk for the Public Administration Symposium at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. The symposium, which was titled “The Challenge of Water in Fast Growing Texas,” was sponsored by the Sumner Foundation and presented by the Austin College Pre-Law Society. The symposium was held less than a week before Texas voters approved Proposition 4, an important new funding program for Texas water infrastructure and new supplies. As part of the symposium I moderated its two panels which proceeded my talk. These panels focused on regional water issues and how the funding contemplated under Proposition 4 might impact water management in Texas.
Panel 1 included: Galen Roberts, Director of Water Resources for the North Texas Municipal Water District; Jason Pierce, Director of Governmental Affairs & Communications for the Upper Trinity Regional Water District; and Dr. Peter Schultze, Professor of Biology & Environmental Science at Austin College.
Panel 2 included: David Kelly, Government Affairs Manager for the North Texas Municipal Water District; Wayne Lee, Director of Engineering for the City of Sherman; and finally Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network.
The following discussion provided important insights into the current and future water needs of this rapidly growing region where multiple multibillion dollar semiconductor factories are already under construction.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses the key water planning, finance, and regulatory institutions of Texas and some of the current issues and challenges facing the state with Brooke Paup, Chairwoman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Brooke Paup was appointed Chairwoman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) by Governor Greg Abbott in January of 2025. Prior to her appointment to TCEQ, Paup served on the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) beginning in 2018. In 2021, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Paup as the first woman chair in the history of TWDB. Prior to 2018, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, in the Office of the Attorney General, and at the Office of State-Federal Relations in Washington, D.C. Paup has 19 years of state government experience.
In 2021, Paup was awarded the Texas Water Foundation's Rainmaker Award, which acknowledges exceptional leaders making lasting impacts in Texas water. She was also recently the recipient of the 2023-2024 Public Official of the Year Award from the Water Environment Association of Texas.
Paup has a Bachelor of Arts from Texas A&M University and a Juris Doctor from Texas Tech School of Law.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses Texas Proposition 4 with Sarah Kirkle, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the Texas Water Association, and Perry Fowler Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network.
Sarah Kirkle works with members of Texas Water Association to develop policy positions through TWA’s legislative committees and to subsequently advance those policy initiatives through education and advocacy at the Texas Legislature. Previously, Kirkle was at Texas 2036 and the Sunset Advisory Commission.
Perry Fowler is the Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN) and Principal of Fowler Group Texas, LLC. Fowler also represents Texas811, the statewide damage prevention organization, advocating for safe excavation and utility coordination.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses common western water needs and challenges with Tony Willardson, recently retired Executive Director of Western States Water Council.
Tony Willardson was named as Executive Director of the Western States Water Council in July 2009, and served the Council in various capacities since 1979. He is a member of the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration and has been recognized by the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) with the Mary H. Marsh Medal for Exemplary Contributions to the Protection and Wise Use of the Nation’s Water Resources. Further, he oversees publication of the Council’s weekly newsletter, Western States Water.
For more information about Tony Willardson's decorated service to the world of water, please review his bio here.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses recent developments in the Rio Grande with Martha Pskowski, a Texas reporter for Inside Climate News based in El Paso.
Martha reports on water, oil and gas, and the impacts of climate change. She was previously an environmental reporter at the El Paso Times and a freelance reporter in Mexico City.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses extreme weather with Texas State Climatologist, Dr. John Nielsen-Gammon. He is a Regents Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Texas A&M University and also serves as the Director of the Southern Regional Climate Center.
John Nielsen-Gammon has been on the faculty at Texas A&M University since 1991. He conducts research on various types of extreme weather from droughts and floods to air pollution and computer modeling. As Texas State Climatologist, he helps the state of Texas make the best possible use of weather and climate information through applied research, outreach, and service on state-level committees. He is a fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses the 89th Texas Legislative session with Vanessa Puig-Williams, Senior Director of Climate Resilient Water Systems at the Environmental Defense Fund, Jeremy Mazur, Director of Infrastructure and Natural Resources Policy at Texas 2036, and Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC.
The 89th Legislative Session was a historic, generational water infrastructure-focused session. From legislation geared toward water infrastructure funding, coalitions formed to investigate and address water challenges in Texas, and more, these water policy experts discuss the outcomes of this session over a jovial luncheon.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses water challenges in the Rio Grande with Martha Pskowski, a Texas reporter for Inside Climate News based in El Paso.
Martha reports on water, oil and gas, and the impacts of climate change. She was previously an environmental reporter at the El Paso Times and a freelance reporter in Mexico City.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses Multidecadal drought impacts on the Lower Colorado Basin with implications for future management with author, Dr. Bridget Scanlon, Research Professor at the Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin.
Dr. Scanlon's current research focuses on various aspects of water resources, including global assessments using satellites and modeling, management related to climate extremes, and water energy interdependence. She has authored or co-authored ~200 publications. Dr. Scanlon is a fellow of AAAS, AGU and GSA and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses El Paso water resources with El Paso Water's Gilbert Trejo, Vice President of Operations and Technical Services, and Christina Montoya-Halter, Communications and Marketing Manager.
Gilbert Trejo oversees engineering, operations and technical services. Previously, he served as Chief Technical Officer. Before coming to El Paso Water in 2014, he was the Principal in charge of Arcadis' Water Division in the El Paso, Texas region. In that role, he led business development, designed and managed projects, and ensured financial performance. Trejo is also past chair and former board member for the WateReuse Association and Water Research Foundation. He is a published author on water reuse and water infrastructure topics. He is a licensed professional engineer in the State of Texas, a Certified Floodplain Manager and a Board-Certified Environmental Engineer. Trejo earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master of Science in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering from the University of Texas, Austin.
Christina Montoya-Halter has 24 years of media, communications and marketing experience. She is the Communications and Marketing Manager for EPWater, overseeing internal and external communications. A University of Southern California graduate, prior to her role at EPWater, she was a broadcast journalist in El Paso. She is President of WateReuse Texas and is serving her third term on the American Water Works Association's Public Affairs Council.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses Austin water resources and the 100-year water plan with Shay Ralls Roalson, Director of Austin Water, and Marisa Flores Gonzalez, Program Manager for Austin Water's Water Forward Plan.
Shay Ralls Roalson P.E. became the Director of Austin Water in January 2023, leading a team of 1,300 employees committed to providing high quality drinking water, wastewater, and reclaimed water services to more than one million people in the Austin metropolitan area.
Shay has 29 years of experience working with water utilities on the planning, design, and construction of complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects. She joined Austin Water as Assistant Director in April 2020, where she led the engineering services team responsible for delivering the utility’s $1.4 billion five-year capital program. Prior to joining Austin Water, Shay was a consulting engineer, working with utilities across Texas.
Shay is a past Chair of the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association and has served on the External Advisory Committee for the University of Texas Cockrell School of Engineering. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Texas Section AWWA George Warren Fuller award.
Shay received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Marisa Flores Gonzalez leads the Water Resources Team at Austin Water and is the project manager for Water Forward, Austin’s 100-year Integrated Water Resource Plan. Ms. Flores Gonzalez has 14 years of experience working in local government and utilities in multiple areas including water supply, water distribution, wastewater collection, and stormwater management planning.
She brings a holistic approach to water planning, with a belief in the value of community engagement and adaptive management to create a resilient and equitable water future for the Austin community. Ms. Flores Gonzalez holds a B.A. in Geography and the Environment from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s in Public Administration from Texas State University.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, explores the importance of communication in addressing Western water issues with Daniel Rothberg, a writer who focuses on research regarding water, public land, mining, and energy.
Daniel writes a newsletter, Western Water Notes, focusing on water in the Western U.S. For six years, Daniel worked as an environmental reporter for The Nevada Independent, where his work was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, Best of the West, and the Society of Environmental Journalists. During that time, he served as president of the Nevada Press Association, working to support and advocate on behalf of outlets across the state. Daniel’s environmental writing has been published in The Nevada Independent, The New York Times, Smithsonian, Inside Climate News, Sierra Magazine, Vox, and High Country News. He is currently based in Davis, California, where he is working toward a master’s in environmental policy.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, explores the complexities of Colorado River management and related water issues in Utah, with Emily E. Lewis, a Director, Shareholder, and Co-Chair of the Natural Resources and Water Law Practice Group at Clyde Snow and Sessions in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Emily assists clients in navigating and solving complex water problems. She regularly advises individual water right owners, water conservancy districts, municipalities, mining companies, investors, and mutual shareholder irrigation companies. Her strategic projects practice extends to innovative policy work and specialty project management. For example, she recently oversaw the Utah Statewide Water Marketing Strategies Project, produced a comprehensive Water Law Policy Inventory and Assessment to inform the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan, and hosts a weekly podcast, Ripple Effect – A Podcast Putting Water in Context. Emily is curious, creative, and an upcoming thought leader in the water space.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses water infrastructure funding and the Texas economy with Jeremy Mazur, Director of Natural Resources and Infrastructure Policy for Texas 2036, and Gabriel Collins, Baker Botts Fellow in Energy and Environmental Regulatory Affairs at Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy (Baker Institute).
Jeremy Mazur has over 25 years of working in and with the Legislature and state leaders on water and energy policy issues. Before joining Texas 2036 in 2021, he served as Director of Government Relations for the Railroad Commission of Texas and worked on water policy in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate.
Gabriel Collins is a member of the Center for Energy Studies team member at the Baker Institute and a lead member of the Water-Energy Nexus Thrust at Rice University’s WaTER Institute. He is also an editor at the Texas Water Journal. Gabriel has a J.D. from the University School of Law.
Episode Links:
- Prospective Costs and Consequences of Insufficient Water Infrastructure Investment in Texas Report
- Assessing Texas' Water Infrastructure Needs Report
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Jace Tunnell, Director of Community Engagement at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, about his work using digital outreach to combat plastic pollution and promote conservation along the Texas Coast.
Jace is the founder of a citizen science project called Nurdle Patrol that tracks plastic pellet concentrations internationally to create awareness of plastics in the ocean and develop new policies based on the data. He also directs and produces a video series called "Beachcombing" about items washing up along the Gulf of Mexico beaches to help promote awareness of Gulf processes and interesting creatures in the ocean. His conservation efforts include educating the public about plastic pollution, marine science, and the protection of our natural resources.
Jace received a Master's degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2001.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution, and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Brigid Shea, Travis County Commissioner, about water conservation efforts in Travis County.
Brigid is a former award-winning reporter at National Public Radio who has been fighting climate change in Texas since 1988. Along the way, she worked to save Austin’s iconic Barton Springs, organizing a massive city-wide ballot initiative that resulted in the historic Save Our Springs (SOS) law to save Barton Springs. As a former Austin City Council member, she helped create the first wind project in Texas and championed consumer, electoral, and environmental reforms.
Since being elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court in 2014, she has won a national award for critical water conservation efforts through the use of reclaimed treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes like air conditioning and plumbing in several county buildings.
Brigid previously served on the National Board of Clean Water Action and the State Board of the Texas Campaign for the Environment.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Dr. Jill Williamson, NASA International Space Station (ISS) Water Subsystems Manager and Water Management Co-Task Lead for the Mars Campaign Office Systems Capabilities Leadership Team, about innovative recycling technologies that purify and reuse all water sources, including sweat and urine, to ensure a sustainable, clean water supply for the ISS and astronauts.
Jill has 10 years of unique expertise in water recycling and management for microgravity applications, as found on the ISS. Jill has a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Central Missouri and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from The University of Memphis, where she specialized in developing water quality analyzers for an ISS Water Recovery System (WRS) architecture. She now manages the ISS WRS to ensure pristine quality water is available to astronauts for food rehydration and drinks and ISS payloads and oxygen generation. This water recovery system uses a novel and classic water recycling technology that can operate efficiently within a microgravity environment.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN), about the state of water infrastructure in Texas.
As Executive Director, Fowler leads the organization’s efforts to build a strong, sustainable, and competitive Texas water infrastructure construction market through policy development, education, and advocacy. He is also the Principal of Fowler Group Texas, LLC, providing lobbying, government affairs, business consulting, association, and coalition management services. A fifth-generation Texas native, Fowler grew up in the Texas construction industry and has worked as an advocate for the construction industry at the international, national, state, and local levels.
Click here to view the 2024 Texas Water Capital Needs Survey.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses water reuse with Noelle George, Managing Director of WateReuse Texas.
WateReuse Texas represents over 70 organizations working to ensure all future Texans have access to clean, safe water. Before her role at WateReuse Texas, Noelle was Executive Director of an international nonprofit advocating for global change in the areas of women’s rights and disaster recovery through grant-making and volunteer organizing. She started her career as a pipeline engineer and capital project manager at Chevron, winning the Memorial Award from the International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement for her 2006 paper “Hydrocarbon Dew Point Effects on Gas Flow Measurement.”
Noelle has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington with an Environmental Focus and considers herself a Pacific Northwest transplant to Houston.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Dr. Maria-Elena Giner, P.E., United States Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), about managing the water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico.
Appointed by President Joe Biden in August 2021, Dr. Giner is the second woman and first Latina to serve as the U.S. IBWC Commissioner. She previously served as General Manager of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), an institution that developed environmental infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border in association with the North American Development Bank. During her tenure at the BECC, she focused on policies that addressed U.S.-Mexico cooperation on water, energy, and climate change. With the support of the BECC staff, she led the development and financing of $9 billion in environmental infrastructure, benefitting about 100 communities and over 10 million residents.
In addition, she has published extensively on water policy and transboundary bilateral cooperation. Dr. Giner’s education includes a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a registered professional engineer, a first-generation college graduate, and the daughter of an immigrant. Dr. Giner is from the border region and attended Loretto Academy High School in El Paso, Texas.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Aaron Wolf, a Geography Professor at Oregon State University and trained mediator/facilitator, about managing and resolving water conflicts.
Wolf directs the Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation at Oregon State University, through which he has offered workshops, facilitations, and mediations around the world. He is also a Professor of Water Diplomacy at the IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. Wolf authored The Spirit of Dialogue: Lessons from Faith Traditions in Transforming Conflict (Island Press, 2017), which he uses to bring facilitation and capacity-building to a variety of conflict settings, notably between entities who share water resources, and also in faith and interfaith communities, and within and between government agencies.
Wolf was awarded the 2016 American Association of Geographers Gilbert R. White Distinguished Public Service Honor “in recognition of his work on seeking peaceful approaches to international competition over water resources” and the 2015 Heinz Award for Public Policy for “applying 21st-century insights and ingenuity, as well as ancient wisdom, to complex problems for the security of the planet.”
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, Wolf and our Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, are both partners at Four Worlds Consulting, which delivers science-based, innovative approaches to heal disputes that arise, ranging from water and other natural resource conflicts to faith-based tensions. They work in a variety of settings, from urban and rural to domestic and international to public and private sectors.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Sam Marie Hermitte, Assistant Deputy Executive Administrator of Water Science and Conservation for the Texas Water Development Board, about utilizing data to support water management and conservation.
Her responsibilities at the Texas Water Development Board include strategic planning, legislative analysis and implementation, water data, drought policy and project coordination, priority flood research projects, and special initiatives such as the development of the Texas Water Data Hub and TexasFlood.org. Additionally, Sam leads the Texas Water Data Initiative and serves as a member of the Internet of Water Coalition and the Texas Disaster Information System Advisory Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in public affairs with a portfolio in integrated watershed studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, the Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Chad Berginnis, Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), about the role of floodplain management in mitigating flood loss.
As Executive Director of ASFPM, Berginnis frequently collaborates with FEMA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal agencies to advocate for effective policies and programs related to mitigating flood risk, strengthening community resilience, protecting our water resources, and advancing equity and social justice. He has also testified before U.S. House and Senate Committees and Subcommittees on a number of topics, including FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, and disaster response and recovery issues.
In December 2022, Berginnis began a three-year appointment to FEMA's National Advisory Council, where he provides valuable perspective on how the nation can best mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover in the face of growing climate threats. The council advises the FEMA administrator on all aspects of emergency management, including preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for disasters and national emergencies.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, the Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Brian Richter, president of Sustainable Waters, about the challenges posed by water scarcity.
Brian Richter has been a global leader in water science and conservation for more than 30 years. As president of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges, he promotes sustainable water use and management with governments, corporations, universities, and local communities. He previously served as Director of the Global Water Program for The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. Brian has consulted on more than 170 water projects worldwide. He serves as a water advisor to some of the world’s largest corporations, investment banks, and the United Nations and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. He teaches Water Sustainability at the University of Virginia.
Brian has developed scientific tools and methods to support river protection and restoration efforts, including the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration software used worldwide by water managers and scientists. Brian was featured in a BBC documentary with David Attenborough on “How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?” He has published many scientific papers on the importance of ecologically sustainable water management in international journals. He co-authored a book with Sandra Postel entitled Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature. His latest book, Chasing Water: A Guide for Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability, has been published in five languages.
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In this conversation during American Wetlands Month, Dr. Todd Votteler, the Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, discusses wetland conservation and protection with Dr. Megan Lang, the Chief Scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program.
Dr. Lang leads the congressionally mandated national Wetlands Status and Trends study for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program, which provides estimates of U.S. wetland extent, type, and change specific to different time periods from the 1700s to 2019. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland and serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Wetlands. For over two decades, Dr. Lang has been working to improve the assessment of aquatic ecosystems through field and remote sensing studies.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler discusses dam removal movement with Katie Schmidt, Associate Director of the National Dam Removal Program at American Rivers.
Katie coordinates and implements the American Rivers' federal policy agenda for dam removal and works with our federal agency partners. She also supports the National Dam Removal Community of Practice and develops tools and resources for dam removal practitioners. She has focused much of her work on hydropower reform and hydropower dam removal. As a former Fellow with American Rivers, Katie researched and wrote a guide to removing federally regulated hydropower dams.
She completed her Master's in Environmental Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University with an emphasis in hydrology and natural resources policy, aiming to remove dams to restore the rivers. Before joining American Rivers, she worked with organizations such as American Whitewater, the River Management Society, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. When not working, Katie can be found adventuring on the trails or the river with her family.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Ralph Wurbs, professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University, about modeling river and reservoir systems to support water management.
Dr. Wurbs worked in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' water development program for nine years before joining the Texas A&M University faculty in 1980. He has taught many courses at Texas A&M University, professional development courses in Texas and abroad, and a graduate water management course several times as a visiting professor at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. His responsibilities at Texas A&M University have included serving as head of the department's Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, associate director for the Texas Water Resources Institute, and member of the Executive Committee of the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Water Management and Hydrologic Science. Various federal, state, and international agencies have sponsored his research and consulting. He has worked closely with the water management community of Texas for many years, most notably under the auspices of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Dr. Wurbs publications include three books from Prentice Hall: Water Management Models (1995), Modeling and Analysis of Reservoir System Operations (1996), and the textbook Water Resources Engineering, which thousands of students in Texas A&M University courses and other universities have used. His new book Managing Water in River and Reservoir Systems: Water Resources, Institutional Practices, and Constructed Infrastructure in Texas is being released by the American Society of Civil Engineers Press in March/April 2024. He has authored chapters in many other books, journals, conference papers, and technical reports. His work has been recognized by an endowed professorship, several teaching awards, and various others, including the Outstanding Research and Innovation Award of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.
Dr. Wurbs holds degrees from Texas A&M University (B.S., 1971), University of Texas at Arlington (M.S., 1974), and Colorado State University (Ph.D., 1978). He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a Founding and Honorary Diplomate of the American Academic of Water Resources Engineers.
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In this conversation, Texas Water Journal & Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Scott Wright, Principal Engineer for the River Design Group, about the impact of dam removals in river restoration efforts.
Scott Wright is the Principal Engineer for the River Design Group in Corvallis, Oregon. Scott grew up in Southern Oregon on the Rogue River, which was made famous by author Zane Grey. Wright’s dad was a logger who instilled in Scott a love for the natural environment through endless days of fishing, hunting, and time in the outdoors. During his childhood, Scott witnessed a favorite fishing area on the Applegate River become inundated in a reservoir when the Applegate Dam was built. Later, he watched the Elk Creek Dam get partially built and then halted by environmental lawsuits.
These childhood experiences and engineering degrees from Oregon State University became catalysts to bring about a lasting legacy to restore rivers for future generations to enjoy. Over the past 15 years, Wright has been the Project Manager and Engineer of Record for removing four dams in the Rogue River Basin: Gold Hill Dam, Gold Ray Dam, Wimer Dam, and Fielder Dam. He has over 31 years of engineering and construction expertise that combine to provide unique insights into river restoration and sound solutions for complex problems. Not only is he a Professional Engineer, but Scott is also a Project Management Professional and a Board-Certified Water Resources Engineer.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with the Owner and Editor of The Water Report, Shaina Shay. The Water Report is a monthly publication that provides detailed and timely coverage of the innovations and decisions shaping our water future.
Shay has spent more than a decade developing expertise in water policy and management, conservation, and community outreach. Her passion for pragmatically sharing information has been a theme throughout her career. She has worked as a Water Resources and Conservation Specialist for two investor-owned utilities in Arizona, EPCOR Water and Global Water Resources. She also spent several years working in Victoria, Australia as a Water Market Specialist for the government and a Senior Consultant with Aither. Shaina has degrees in Environment and Water Resources Economics and International Relations and Affairs, both from the University of Arizona.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Rachel Fern, Statewide Wetland Program Leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about the state of wetlands in Texas, including their history, current status, and future challenges. Fern coauthored a recent article in the Texas Water Journal title "The State of Texas Wetlands."
Fern is responsible for the statewide administration of wetland habitat projects benefiting migratory game birds. She works with internal and external partners to identify, plan, and coordinate technically complex habitat, research, and public hunting projects for migratory game birds across Texas.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Kelley Cochran, General Manager of the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District, about the role Groundwater Conservation Districts play in supporting the state's water management and planning efforts.
Cochran joined the district in 2014 as Executive Administrator and was promoted to General Manager in 2018. Since September 2021, she has served as the Administrator of Groundwater Management Area 13 and is the Area Representative for the Edwards Carrizo area of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts. She is a 2021 Texas Water Leaders Program graduate, past Chairwoman and first female Chair of the Groundwater Science Division of the Texas Ground Water Association, and recipient of the Texas Ground Water Association's 'Ground Water Science Person of the Year' award January 2023.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with James Perry, Executive Vice President of the EarthWorks Division of ASTERRA, about innovative remote sensing technologies to support water management.
Perry has spent over 30 years driving disruptive innovation. In both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies, James’ key mission is market adoption and to achieve a deeper foothold into new markets. James currently serves as the Vice President for Business Development at ASTERRA, based in San Diego, California.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Karrigan Börk, Acting Professor of Law at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) School of Law, about federal efforts to protect wetland habitats.
Börk graduated from Stanford Law School in 2009 and completed his Ph.D. dissertation in Ecology at UC Davis in 2011. He clerked for Tenth Circuit Chief Judge Mary Beck Briscoe, U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson, and Judge Janice Karlin on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas. His publications run the gamut from the definitive text on the history and application of California Fish and Game Code Section 5937 to a hatchery and genetic management plan for spring-run Chinook salmon. He is currently examining legal and ethical issues in ecological restoration. His past work has focused on the management of guest species, those invasive species that managers invite in and make comfortable, and on the evolution of law via administrative actions. He is currently working on local governance issues in ecosystem management.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler discusses managed aquifer recharge with Dr. Helen Dahlke, Associate Professor of Integrated Hydrologic Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and leader of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Water Strategic Initiative.
Dr. Dahlke has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. Her current research interests include surface water–groundwater interaction, water resources management, vadose zone transport processes, and applications of DNA nanotechnology in hydrology. One of Helen’s main research efforts focuses on testing the feasibility of using agricultural fields as recharge sites for groundwater banking.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Brian Richter, President of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges.
Brian Richter has been a global water science and conservation leader for over 30 years. At Sustainable Waters, he promotes sustainable water use and management with governments, corporations, universities, and local communities. He previously served as Director of the Global Water Program of The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. Richter has consulted on more than 170 water projects worldwide. He serves as a water advisor to some of the world’s largest corporations, investment banks, and the United Nations and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. He teaches Water Sustainability at the University of Virginia.
Richter has developed scientific tools and methods to support river protection and restoration efforts, including the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration software used worldwide by water managers and scientists. Brian was featured in a BBC documentary with David Attenborough on “How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?” He has published many scientific papers on the importance of ecologically sustainable water management in international journals. He co-authored a book with Sandra Postel entitled Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature. His latest book, Chasing Water: A Guide for Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability, has been published in five languages.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Manny Teodoro, Professor for the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin, about issues facing the drinking water industry.
Dr. Manny Teodoro's research stands at the nexus of politics, public policy, and public management. He works mainly on American environmental policy design, evaluation, and implementation. This line of research includes explorations of public verse private utility management and regulatory implementation as a matter of environmental justice. On the public management side, his work emphasizes professional labor markets as predictors of innovation and organizational performance.
Dr. Teodoro's 2011 book, Bureaucratic Ambition (Johns Hopkins University Press), argues that career concerns shape organizational innovation and democratic governance. His 2022 book, The Profits of Distrust (with Samantha Zuhlke, David Switzer, Cambridge University Press), links the meteoric rise of the commercial drinking water industry to distrust in government and a broader withdrawal from civic life.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks about water-related bills that passed during the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature with Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas 2036, Sarah Schlessinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Water Foundation, and Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC, and Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TWIN).
Rubinstein was appointed chairman of the Texas Water Development Board from 2013-2015. During his tenure, he oversaw the implementation of the $2 billion State Water Infrastructure Fund for Texas. Rubinstein also served as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) from 2009–2013. He has also served as deputy executive director of TCEQ and Rio Grande Watermaster.
As the Executive Director of the TXWIN, Fowler leads the organization’s efforts to build a strong, sustainable, and competitive Texas water infrastructure construction market through policy development, education, and advocacy. He is also the Principal of Fowler Group Texas, LLC providing lobbying, government affairs, business consulting, association, and coalition management services.
Mazur directs Texas 2036’s work in the area of natural resources, which includes water, oil and gas, and energy. He also directs research and policy development in water. His current projects include studying water markets, developing a strategic implementation plan for recent federal water legislation, and improving the state’s infrastructure and resilience to extreme weather.
Schlessinger previously worked in groundwater policy and regulation and has experience with international nonprofits and disaster response. In addition to her role as Executive Director of the Texas Water Foundation, she currently serves as an appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory Council and as a board member for Texas Water Trade.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Texas Tribune reporters Jayme Lozano Carver and Alejandra Martinez about the Tribune’s Broken Pipes series, which examines the state's deteriorating water infrastructure.
Jayme Lozano Carver is the Texas Tribune's first Lubbock-based reporter, covering the South Plains and Panhandle through a partnership with Report for America. She previously worked for Texas Tech Public Media, Lubbock's NPR station, where she spearheaded "Rural Healthcare: The Other Texas Drought," a series for PBS' "Frontline" on rural hospital closures in Texas. She also covered a broad range of topics for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, including climate change, agriculture, entertainment, and health care. Born in Levelland, Carver is a native of the South Plains area and studied at South Plains College and Texas Tech University. She loves to talk about her cats, horror movies, and pro wrestling.
Alejandra Martinez joined the Texas Tribune in the fall of 2022 as a Dallas-based environmental reporter. She was previously an accountability reporter at KERA, where she began as a Report for America Corps Member and then covered Dallas City Hall. Before that, she worked as an associate producer at WLRN, South Florida's public radio station. Martinez studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and interned at KUT and NPR's Latino USA. She's a native of the Aldine area of Harris County and speaks fluent Spanish.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Kevin Kluge, Water Conservation Manager for Austin Water, about programs offered by Austin Water that help customers conserve water.
As Water Conservation Manager, Kluge oversees a range of water conservation programs, including incentives, irrigation evaluations, commercial efficiency assessments, and water waste enforcement. Prior to his position with Austin Water, he spent 20 years with the Texas Water Development Board, culminating in the role of Director of Conservation and Innovative Water Technologies. Kevin holds a Master of Science in Natural Resource Utilization and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks about water and the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature with Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN), Sarah Schlessinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Water Foundation, and Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas 2036.
As the Executive Director of the TXWIN, Fowler leads the organization’s efforts to build a strong, sustainable, and competitive Texas water infrastructure construction market through policy development, education, and advocacy. He is also the Principal of Fowler Group Texas, LLC providing lobbying, government affairs, business consulting, association, and coalition management services.
Mazur directs Texas 2036’s work in the area of natural resources, which includes water, oil and gas, and energy. Since joining Texas 2036 in September 2021,. Mazur also directs research and policy development in water. His current projects include a study on water markets, developing a strategic implementation plan for recent federal water legislation, and improving the state’s infrastructure and resilience to extreme weather.
Schlessinger previously worked in groundwater policy and regulation and has experience with international nonprofits and disaster response. In addition to being the Executive Director of the Texas Water Foundation she currently serves as an appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory Council and as a board member for Texas Water Trade.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Lori Olson, Executive Director of the Texas Land Trust Council, about two bills, HB 3165 and HJR 138, in the current legislative session that, if passed, would create the Texas Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Olson has served as the Executive Director of the Texas Land Trust Council since July 2011, working to strengthen the coalition of land and water conservation organizations working across Texas. In her work with the Council, she engages in state and federal advocacy, strategic outreach and research projects that promote the many benefits of conservation, and offers training and technical assistance, including hosting the annual Texas Land Conservation Conference. Olson has over two decades of experience in land conservation, working with land trusts in Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with David Baker and Robin Gary with the Watershed Association (WA) about the ongoing drought's impacts on Jacob's Well and the Trinity Aquifer.
Baker is an artist, conservationist, and environmental advocate equally at ease with a brush in his studio or envisioning an environmental canvas the size of the Texas Hill Country. Since moving his family to the iconic Jacob’s Well Spring near Wimberley in 1988, he has dedicated his life and boundless creative energy to the land, water and building a conservation network across Cypress Creek, the Blanco River watershed, and the Texas Hill Country. He founded the WA in 1996 and has since served as the Executive Director, having assembled more than 400 acres of owned and managed conserved lands surrounding Jacob’s Well in honor of protecting it and the waters that feed it.
Before joining the WA, Gary worked as a geographer for the U.S. Geological Survey's Texas Water Science Center doing data management, spatial analysis, and GIS, and was part of the team that helped establish the spring flow gauging station at Jacob's Well. She also served as the Public Information and Education Coordinator for the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District where she helped build an impactful and collaborative educational program, supported and educated well owners and groundwater users, and researched methods to assess groundwater use, well drilling trends, and aquifer dynamics.
Photo by Todd Votteler (3/27/2023).
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Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC, and Vanessa Puig-Williams, Director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Texas Water Program, about flaws in Texas' groundwater planning process and the water legislation in the 88th Texas Legislature.
Rubinstein was appointed chairman of the Texas Water Development Board from 2013-2015. During his tenure, he oversaw the implementation of the $2 billion State Water Infrastructure Fund for Texas. Rubinstein also served as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) from 2009–2013. He has also served as deputy executive director of TCEQ and as Rio Grande Watermaster.
Puig-Williams leads EDF’s efforts to advance sustainable groundwater management in Texas. Prior to joining EDF, she was the Executive Director of the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association. As a water and environmental attorney, she has advised landowners and nonprofits on issues related to land and water conservation and practiced in the environmental division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
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Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC, and Vanessa Puig-Williams, Director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Texas Water Program, about flaws in Texas' groundwater planning process and the water legislation in the 88th Texas Legislature.Rubinstein was appointed chairman of the Texas Water Development Board from 2013-2015. During his tenure, he oversaw the implementation of the $2 billion State Water Infrastructure Fund for Texas. Rubinstein also served as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) from 2009–2013. He has also served as deputy executive director of TCEQ and as Rio Grande Watermaster. Puig-Williams leads EDF’s efforts to advance sustainable groundwater management in Texas. Prior to joining EDF, she was the Executive Director of the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association. As a water and environmental attorney, she has advised landowners and nonprofits on issues related to land and water conservation and practiced in the environmental division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Jim Bradbury, founder of James D. Bradbury, PLLC, about water policy issues related to agriculture and landowner rights. After practicing with some of the largest law firms in Texas, Bradbury formed his own firm to serve his clients more directly. James D. Bradbury, PLLC, serves Austin, Fort Worth, and Montana. He has practiced for over three decades, representing clients in litigation of all types: real estate, water law, conservation, and eminent domain. Bradbury has extensive trial experience and has served as counsel in many trials. He is admitted to practice before courts in Texas, Arkansas, and Montana as well as the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fifth and Eighth Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court. His approach to client problems is straightforward and direct.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Reem Zoun, PE, CFM, ENV SP, Director of the Flood Planning Division at the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), about developing the first state flood plan for Texas.Zoun is leading the TWDB's effort towards developing the statewide flood planning program, the delivery of the first sets of regional flood plans, and the state flood plan for the State of Texas. She has over 22 years of private and public sector experience in engineering, modeling, mapping, capital improvement project portfolio management and delivery, management, and leadership. Before joining the TWDB in 2019, Zoun worked for the City of Austin, AECOM, Pasminco Elura Mine, and the Victoria Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Australia.
Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Maria Richards, Geothermal Laboratory Coordinator in the Department of Earth Sciences at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Joseph Batir, Geothermal Lead at Petrolern, about the geothermal energy potential of Texas. Recently, the Texas Water Journal published their article, “Determining Geothermal Resources in Three Texas Counties.”Maria Richards' research focuses on geothermal resources and energy development. Her projects vary from computer-generated temperature-depth maps for Google.org to on-site geothermal exploration of the volcanic islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. Currently, her concentration is on the conversion of oil/gas wells into geothermal energy producers. She co-coordinates the SMU Node of the National Geothermal Data System funded by the Department of Energy. Past research includes the Eastern Texas Geothermal Assessment, Geothermal Map of North America, and the resource assessment for the MIT Report on the Future of Geothermal Energy.Joseph Batir is an exploration geoscientist for Petrolern. He has exploration experience in the Gulf Coast, East Texas and South Texas, Permian Basin, Alaska (Cook Inlet and Interior), British Columbia, offshore West Africa, Illinois Basin, Michigan Basin, Snake River Plain, and the Hellisheidi geothermal field in Iceland. His research has resulted in new insights and prospect generation within existing and emerging plays.
Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas 2036, about water policy priorities in Texas.Mazur directs Texas 2036’s work in the area of natural resources, which includes water, oil and gas, and energy. Since joining Texas 2036 in September 2021, Mazur has played a leading role in Texas 2036’s energy expansion project, charting an energy future that includes cleaner oil and gas and renewable sources of energy. Mazur also directs research and policy development in water. His current projects include a study on water markets, developing a strategic implementation plan for recent federal water legislation, and improving the state’s infrastructure and resilience to extreme weather.Drawing on over 20 years of experience working in the Texas legislature and critical state agencies, Mazur works directly with state and legislative leaders on policy changes needed for Texas’ energy and water future. Before coming to Texas 2036, his legislative career began in the late 20th century as a policy analyst with the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. From there, he served as a Chief of Staff for Texas State Representative Bill Callegari and as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Texas State Senator Van Taylor. He also served as Director of Governmental Relations for two state agencies essential to Texas’ future: the Texas Water Development Board and, more recently, the Railroad Commission, Texas’ leading oil and gas, pipeline safety, and surface mining regulator.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Glenn Hegar, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, about initiatives from the Comptroller’s office to ensure the state’s water supplies meet future demands.Hegar was elected as the 36th Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in November 2014 and was re-elected for the second time in 2022. He is Texas' chief financial officer — the state's treasurer, check writer, tax collector, procurement officer, and revenue estimator. As CFO for the world's ninth-largest economy, he monitors Texas' financial health. Hegar has worked to bring public and legislative attention to long-term financial obligations facing the state, such as water infrastructure maintenance — needs that have caused major financial difficulties in other states and which rarely receive adequate attention in the give-and-take of Texas' biennial legislative budgeting process.Before he was elected as Texas Comptroller, Hegar served in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate, where he worked on a wide range of problems affecting Texans in areas including water issues. Hegar is a 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University and a graduate of St. Mary's University, where he earned a Master of Arts and his law degree. At the University of Arkansas, he earned his Master of Law. He is a sixth-generation Texan who grew up farming land that has been in his family since the mid-1800s.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Steve Lohr, President and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in California, about sustainable water management practices for vineyards.As the President and CEO of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Lohr is responsible for the overall management and strategic planning of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, with a particular focus on sales and finance. In 1972, at age 10, Lohr helped his father, Jerry, plant their first vineyards in Greenfield, California. After graduating from Stanford University with degrees in civil engineering and economics, he split his time between winegrowing and designing and building high-end custom homes on the San Francisco Peninsula. In 2003, Lohr wrapped up his flourishing custom home-building career to devote his full energy to J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines. In 2013, he was promoted to CEO of J. Lohr Winery. Steve sits on the Board of the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, which promotes the adoption of sustainable practices throughout California’s vineyards and wineries. He was Chairman of the Board from 2016-2018.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Sarah Stogner, founder of Stogner Legal, about groundwater contamination issues in the oil and gas industry.
Stogner is not just another lawyer. She forced Railroad Commission incumbent Wayne Christian into a runoff, winning over 300,000 Republican primary votes. She splits her time between the Permian Basin and Houston, representing operators, service companies, and landowners navigating the quagmire of oil and gas risk allocation issues. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.S. in International Trade and Finance in 2005 and a law degree in 2008.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Michael Hanemann about the economics of water markets and water transfers.
Dr. Hanemann is the Chancellor's Professor and Professor of Environmental and Resource Economics at the University of California Berkeley, and also serves as a Distinguished Sustainability Scientist and the Julie A. Wrigley Chair in Sustainability at Arizona State University. He is also the Director of the Center of Environmental Economics and Sustainability Policy at Arizona State University. Hanemann is an environmental economist who works in the areas of water economics and policy, climate change, and non-market valuation.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Andrew Sansom, Founder of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, about using water markets as a tool to protect environmental flows in Texas.
Dr. Andrew Sansom is one of Texas’ leading conservationists. He is the Founder of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. He is a former Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Executive Director of the Texas Nature Conservancy. For his commitment to the management and protection of natural resources, he is a recipient of the Chevron Conservation Award, The Chuck Yeager Award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Pugsley Medal from the National Park Foundation, the Seton Award from the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nature Conservancy. Dr. Sansom is a Distinguished Alumnus of Austin College and Texas Tech University.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. John Sabo, a Professor in the Department of Coastal & River Science and Engineering in the School of Science and Engineering at Tulane University and Director of the ByWater Institute.
In the academic realm, Sabo directs Tulane’s ByWater Institute, a research institute dedicated to creating transdisciplinary and transformative research that advances the resilience of water resources in New Orleans, the Mississippi River Basin, and tropical river basins in the developing world where lessons from home are relevant.
By training, Sabo is a river food web ecologist and has designed and implemented large-scale field experiments to understand the role of aquatic-terrestrial energy flow on terrestrial food web dynamics as well as the dynamic effects of groundwater on surface water food webs. His work in this realm is driven by a desire to understand how to better manage basin-scale flows in rivers ranging from the Colorado in Arizona’s Grand Canyon, the Mekong River in Southeast Asia, and the Amazon River in South America.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Jennifer Walker and Johnathan Seefeldt from the National Wildlife Federation’s Texas Living Waters Project about a new report that quantifies water loss in Texas and outlines how the state can set itself onto a path of more efficient, effective water infrastructure.
Walker has nearly two decades of experience focusing on water policy and resource issues in Texas with an emphasis on water planning, water conservation, and bay and estuary protection issues. She strives to work collaboratively and approach resource management challenges with a solution-oriented perspective. Walker serves on the Water Conservation Advisory Council of Texas and is Chair of Austin's Water Forward Task Force. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the Colorado River Alliance. Walker and her family like to camp near rivers where they can listen to the frogs sing at night.
Seefeldt has over a decade of experience in environmental and educational communications. He has researched and published on the history of large-scale water infrastructure in semi-arid environments with a particular focus on the long-term impact of climate infrastructure projects. He also spent a season as the head of an international high school in the Indian Himalayas, a place that occasionally rivals Austin as his one true home.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with John Muhlfeld, Principal Hydrologist for the River Design Group and Mayor of Whitefish, Montana.
John Muhlfeld was raised along the Connecticut coast, just a few short miles from Long Island Sound and a mere 40-minute train ride to New York City. His family spent the summer months in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York sailing, fishing, snorkeling, and diving for crawdads. Over the course of 15 years, the once pristine Caroga Lake where Muhlfeld spent his summers deteriorated due to the introduction of aquatic invasive species, acid rain, and septic leachate. Observing his childhood lake change dramatically motivated him to pursue a career in water resources.
In his 22 years of professional experience, Muhlfeld has worked for the United States Forest Service and as a Forest Hydrologist with the State of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. With River Design Group, he has been the Project Manager and lead Restoration Hydrologist for numerous large-scale restoration projects in Montana, including the O’Dell Spring Creek wetland restoration project and the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex involving the headwaters of the infamous Blackfoot River.
In addition to his work at the River Design Group, Muhlfeld volunteers his time as Mayor of Whitefish, Montana, a popular vacation destination in Northwest Montana that is experiencing dramatic growth.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Scott Bryan, President of Imagine H2O, and Dr. Greg Newbloom, the Founder and CEO of Membrion.
Byran is responsible for leading Imagine H2O in its mission. Since 2010, Imagine H2O has supported over 150 startups and has expanded its programming internationally. Bryan serves on the National Alliance for Water Innovation’s Innovation and Commercialization Council and is an advisor to the Environmental Policy Innovation Center.
Greg is the Founder & CEO of Membrion, a clean tech start-up focused on recycling wastewater from harsh industrial processes. Membrion makes ceramic desalination membranes out of the same material as the silica gel desiccant packets found in the bottom of a beef jerky package.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Dr. Becky Bowling, Assistant Professor and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Specialist for Urban Water, about managing outdoor water usage during times of drought in Texas.
Bowling is the AgriLife Extension lead for the Urban Water Innovation and Sustainability Hub at the Dallas Center. In her position, she works jointly with AgriLife Research and with AgriLife Extension’s extensive network of Specialists, Regional Program Leaders, and County Extension Agents to develop and deliver outreach programming and resources to critical audiences on the topics of environmental stewardship, water conservation, and water quality protection for urban landscapes and beyond.
Through her work, Dr. Bowling strives to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of influential stakeholders and regulatory agencies to ensure that the Urban Water Extension Program reflects the needs and priorities of its diverse clientele throughout the state.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC, about water markets and the Rio Grande.
Rubinstein has over 38 years experience in state and municipal management and regulation having served as Chairman of the Texas Water Development Board, Commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and City Manager of Brownsville, Texas. His experience includes a strong emphasis in water management, water resources, international water treaties, water quality, environmental enforcement and compliance issues as well as waste management.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Dean Hendrickson, Curator of Ichthyology for the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas in Austin.
Hendrickson is an ichthyologist and aquatic ecologist whose work has focused primarily on fishes and their habitats in arid North America (U.S. and México), generally with a strong link to conservation and endangered species. He is a Curator of the University of Texas' Fish Collection and his current work focuses on compilation of museum specimen-based fish occurrence records for Texas and adjacent areas.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Emily Lewis, Director and Shareholder, and Co-Chair of the Natural Resources and Water Law Practice Group at Clyde Snow and Sessions, about the water issues facing Utah.
Lewis assists clients in navigating complex water problems. She advises individual water right owners, water conservancy districts, municipalities, mining companies, and mutual shareholder irrigation companies. Her strategic projects practice extends to innovative policy work and specialty project management. She presently acts as the Utah Water Banking Project Manager and hosts Ripple Effect – A Podcast Putting Water in Context.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler interviews Gregory Ellis, Attornery at GM Ellis Law Firm P.C., about Texas groundwater markets.
Ellis has been practicing water law and been involved in water issues for over three decades. As a law student, Ellis clerked for the Texas House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, working on a variety of water legislation. After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1988 and being admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1989, Ellis worked as a legislative liaison for the Texas Water Commission. In 1992, Ellis moved to Houston to serve as General Counsel to the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District (now the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District). The Edwards Aquifer Authority hired Ellis as its first General Manager in 1997, a position he held until October 2004, when he left to start his solo law practice.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, interviews Garry Merritt, CEO of the Great Springs Project, about his work to create a greenway of contiguous protected lands connecting the major springs of the Edwards Aquifer between Austin and San Antonio. Prior to joining Great Springs Project, Merritt served as General Counsel and Legislative Director of the Texas Association of Counties. He was also the County Judge for Real County. An avid river guide and mountain climber, he cares deeply about Texas and our beautiful Hill Country and conserving our natural resources for generations to come.
Find out more about the Great Springs Project by going to the website (https://greatspringsproject.org/), or checking out #TrailTuesday on Instagram.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler interviews Dr. Emily Fairfax, an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University Channel Islands. Dr. Fairfax’s current research is focused on the ecohydrology of riparian areas, particularly those that have been impacted by beaver damming. She uses a combination of remote sensing and field work to understand how beaver activity can create drought and fire-resistant patches in the landscape under a changing climate. Her colleagues and students can vouch that when Dr. Fairfax says she can talk about beavers all day, she’s not kidding.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler interviews Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (https://txwin.org).
As Executive Director, Fowler leads the organization’s efforts to build a strong, sustainable, and competitive Texas water infrastructure construction market through policy development, education, and advocacy. He is also the Principal of Fowler Group Texas, LLC, providing lobbying, government affairs, business consulting, association and coalition management services. A fifth generation Texas native, Fowler grew up in the Texas construction industry and has worked as an advocate for the construction industry at the international, national, state, and local level.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler interviews Kyle Garmany, Water and Agriculture Program Director for The Nature Conservancy Texas Chapter.
In his role at The Nature Conservancy, Garmany is responsible for developing innovative strategies to alleviate water scarcity and protect the ecological integrity of the rivers, bays and estuaries of the state. His work includes the development of partnerships with agricultural producers to decrease water use and the execution of environmental water transactions to meet instream and environmental flow demands (https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/texas/stories-in-texas/tx-water-program/).
Prior to his tenure with the Conservancy, he worked as a Hydrologist for State of Texas where he focused on the administration of water rights, and lead efforts to develop tools and strategies to develop environmental water transactions. Garmany studied Hydrology at Humboldt State University, and Water Resources at Texas State University.
Dr. Todd Votteler interviews Dr. Denielle Perry, a water resource geographer and Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University in the School of Earth and Sustainability. Perry is the Director of the Free Flowing Rivers Lab (https://denielleperry.com/research/). In addition, she is one of the leaders of the River Field Studies Network (https://riverfieldstudies.com/), a community of practice that aims to advance undergraduate biology education and support healthy river ecosystems through inclusive, immersive, interdisciplinary field-based education.
Todd Votteler, Ph.D. talks with Mark Boyd, P.E., Ph.D., Principal Engineer at LCA Environmental and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental and Civil Engineering at Southern Methodist University.
Boyd recently served as chair of the Texas Section’s Infrastructure Report Card Committee for the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. The Infrastructure Report Card serves an important role in raising public awareness and providing elected officials the necessary tools to support infrastructure funding.
Honored as the 2010 Texas Engineer of the Year, Boyd has over 25 years of experience in civil and environmental engineering.
To see a recent survey of the infrastructure needs of Texas water utilities click here: https://tinyurl.com/24s5j5y8
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Christina Babbitt, senior manager of the California Groundwater Program at Environmental Defense Fund. She is working to advance and scale groundwater sustainability policies and practices across California’s Central Valley and beyond. In these efforts, Babbitt works to build partnerships and collaboration among the agricultural community, NGOs, agencies and water districts.
She also contributes technical expertise on water governance structure and design and is a member of the steering committee of the California Water Data Consortium. Babbitt's past research has focused on sustainable water resources management in stressed watersheds within the western U.S., Europe and eastern Africa.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Monte Mills, Associate Professor and Director of the Margery Hunter Brown Indian Law Clinic at the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana.
Mills teaches a variety of Indian law courses and works with clinical students on a range of legal matters in the Indian Law Clinic. His research and writing focuses on the intersection of Federal Indian Law, Tribal sovereignty and natural resources. Recently, Mills coauthored “A Third Way: Decolonizing the Laws of Indigenous Cultural Protection,” which was published by Cambridge University Press.
Prior to joining the University of Montana, Mills was the Director of the Legal Department for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in Colorado. As Director of the Tribe's Legal Department, Monte represented and counseled the Tribe on a broad array of issues, including litigation in tribal, state and federal courts, legislative matters before the Colorado General Assembly and the United States Congress and internal tribal matters such as contracting, code-drafting and gaming issues.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Professor Abigail André, an environmental litigator with over a decade of experience enforcing the Clean Water Act. She recently joined the staff of Vermont Law Schools’ Environmental Advocacy Clinic after ten years of environmental litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice's Environmental Enforcement Section, where she led a diverse docket.
From 2010 to 2016 Professor André helped litigate the case against BP and others arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which led to the largest environmental damage settlement in U.S. history. Professor André received the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award in 2016 for her work on the Deepwater Horizon trial team.
Professor André’s scholarly work focuses on how to expand the reach of the Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act regardless of regulatory and political uncertainty.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Rosario Sanchez, a senior research scientist for the Texas Water Resources Institute at Texas A&M University. Dr. Sanchez works on the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act Program to integrate research and data on transboundary aquifers between Mexico and Texas. Rosario is also the Executive Director of the Permanent Forum on Binational Waters.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Sharon B. Megdal, Director of The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center, which is a Cooperative Extension center and a research unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Her work focuses on water policy and management, on which she writes and frequently speaks.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Mitch Tobin, Director of The Water Desk, which is an independent journalism initiative at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Center for Environmental Journalism that focuses on Western water issues and the Colorado River Basin.
From 1998 to 2006, Tobin covered water, environmental, and other issues for the Napa Valley Register, Tucson Citizen, and Arizona Daily Star. His 2010 book, Endangered: Biodiversity on the Brink, examines the impact of the Endangered Species Act and won a gold medal in the Independent Book Publisher Awards.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Joe Underhill, Associate Professor of Political Science and Program Director of the River Semester (https://www.augsburg.edu/river/), Environmental Studies Program and Human Rights Forum at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr. Underhill studied philosophy, history, literature, politics and environmental studies as an undergrad and received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan.
He has been teaching and engaged in environmental politics for the last 30 years, from the Hudson River to San Francisco Bay and now on the Mississippi River. His goal is to increase our understanding of the causes and dynamics of current social and environmental problems and help with efforts to decrease our impact on the environment, increase social justice, and move towards a more sustainable economy.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Joshua Newton, an independent consultant and expert in global water political processes, governance and stakeholder engagement.
Newton utilizes his knowledge of the international water community to help institutions develop their institutional strategies and drive political processes related to water. He is also the founder of Josh’s Water Jobs, connecting young professionals with job opportunities and promoting career development. This interview was recorded on April 24, 2020.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Ken Kramer and Jennifer Walker about the newly released Texas Water Conservation Scorecard 2020 Report, which provides an in-depth analysis and ranking of the water conservation efforts of more than 350 water utilities in Texas.
Dr. Ken Kramer is the volunteer Water Resources Chair for the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club. He retired in 2012 after over 23 years as the first Lone Star Chapter Director and a previous seven years as a contract lobbyist for the Chapter. Kramer has served on numerous state and regional advisory bodies working on water and the environment. These include the Texas Water Conservation Advisory Council, the Environmental Flows Stakeholder Committees for two Texas bay/basin areas (Galveston Bay/Trinity and San Jacinto Basins and the Brazos Basin) and the Advisory Council for the Environmental Science Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. He has a B.A. in History from Texas Lutheran University, an M.A. in Political Science from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Rice University.
Jennifer Walker is the Deputy Director for Texas Water Programs at the National Wildlife Federation. She has over 15 years experience focusing on statewide water policy issues with an emphasis on state and regional water planning, urban water management, and bay and estuary protection. Walker is Vice Chair of Austin's Water Forward Task Force, working to implement Austin’s groundbreaking 100-year water plan that is focused on deploying One Water solutions to meet future water needs. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a stakeholder-based non-profit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water. Jennifer has a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Joel Scata, Water and Climate Attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, about his recent article published in the Spring 2020 edition of the American Bar Association’s Environmental Law Magazine that outlines the need for a new federal flood protection standard to ensure federally-financed infrastructure is better prepared for and adapted to flooding exacerbated by climate change.
Scata works to develop federal and state policy solutions to address the impacts of climate change. In particular, he focuses on addressing sea level rise and extreme weather events, and their connection to flooding disasters.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Professor in the Public Administration program at Texas Tech University and Director of the Climate Science Center at Texas Tech, part of the Department of the Interior’s South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center.
Dr. Hayhoe’s research focuses on developing and applying high-resolution climate projections to evaluate the future impacts of climate change on human society and the natural environment. She has published over 125 peer-reviewed abstracts and publications and served as lead author on key reports for the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the National Academy of Sciences, including the second, third and fourth U.S. National Climate Assessments and the 2017 Climate Science Special Report.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Benjamin Cook, Adjunct Research Scientist at the Earth Institute’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
In addition to his position at Lamont, Cook also serves as a Research Physical Scientist at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York where he researches drought, hydroclimate, and interactions between the land surface and climate system.
Cook holds a B.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Larry Stevens, Curator of Ecology at the Museum of Northern Arizona, and the Director of the Springs Stewardship Institute.
He received his Ph.D. in Zoology from Northern Arizona University in 1989, and served as the ecologist for Grand Canyon National Park from 1989 to 1994. Well respected in the field of ecology, Dr. Stevens was the editor for Red Lake Books, has served on many ecological councils in Arizona, conducted research on biogeography, springs ecology and published extensively in peer-reviewed journals.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Mike McGuire about the coronavirus and drinking water. As President of Michael J. McGuire, Inc. he has worked for drinking water utilities and consulting firms advising water utilities his entire career. He has worked for the Philadelphia Water Department, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and national consulting engineering firms.
McGuire has received the following awards from the American Water Works Association; the George Warren Fuller Award, the A.P. Black Research Award and the Abel Wolman Award of Excellence. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
McGuire has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Drexel University.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Stacey Allison Steinbach, General Manager of the Texas Water Conservation Association (TWCA).
Steinbach joined TWCA in June 2015. She previously worked as a utility district attorney in private practice, as a staff attorney for the Texas General Land Office and most recently as the Executive Director of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts. She holds a bachelor of science in biology and ecology from Baylor University, a master of science in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University, and a juris doctor with honors from the University of Montana School of Law.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Margaret Martens from the Water Systems Council and Susan O’Grady from Xylem Inc.
Margaret MartensMargaret Martens is the Executive Director of the Water Systems Council, a national nonprofit organization solely focused on household wells and small water well systems. In addition, she serves as Program Director for the Water Well Trust, the only national nonprofit helping Americans get access to a clean, safe water supply.
Susan O’Grady is Director of Marketing, Residential and Agriculture at Xylem Inc., and has more than 20 years of experience in the residential and agriculture pump market. An active member of the Water Systems Council, O’Grady frequently partners with the council’s Water Well Trust on water well projects for rural families in need.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Robert Mace and Sharlene Leurig about a new study that is exploring the science behind Comanche Springs’ recent reawakening and the efforts that could help Fort Stockton reclaim its title as the Spring City of Texas.
Once one of the five largest springs in Texas, Comanche Springs ceased flowing in the 1950s due to significant groundwater pumping upstream from the springs. Over the last decade, however, the once-quiet springs have begun flowing again in the late winter months. The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University and Texas Water Trade are conducting a feasibility assessment of a market-based restoration of Comanche Springs. The assessment will evaluate what it would take to restore perennial flows using voluntary, market-based cooperation of groundwater owners in the Comanche Springs’ contributing and recharge zones.
Sharlene Leurig is the Chief Executive Officer of Texas Water Trade. She is a sustainable water finance expert with extensive experience in Texas on long-range water planning, infrastructure finance and water transactions. Formerly, she directed the Texas Environmental Flows Initiative, a collaboration of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, the Harte Research Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and several other groups, to purchase water for the bays and estuaries of the Texas Gulf Coast. She also chaired the Austin Water Forward Task Force, which developed a groundbreaking 100-year water plan approved unanimously by the Austin City Council in 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Physics and English from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she was a fellow in the MIT-USGS Science Impact Collaborative, focusing on the role of science in multi-stakeholder resource planning and dispute resolution.
Robert Mace is the Interim Executive Director and Chief Water Policy Officer at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment and a Professor of Practice in the Department of Geography at Texas State University. He has over 30 years of experience in hydrology, hydrogeology, stakeholder processes and water policy, mostly in Texas. Before joining Texas State University in 2017, Mace worked at the Texas Water Development Board for 17 years ending his career there as the Deputy Executive Administrator for the Water Science & Conservation office. While at the Board, Robert worked on understanding groundwater and surface water resources in Texas; advancing water conservation and innovative water technologies such as desalination, aquifer storage and recovery, reuse, and rainwater harvesting; and protecting Texans from floods. Prior to joining the Texas Water Development Board, Robert worked nine years at the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin as a hydrologist and research scientist. Robert has a Bachelor of Science in Geophysics and a Master of Science in Hydrology from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and a doctorate in hydrogeology from The University of Texas at Austin.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dresden Farrand, Chief Executive Officer of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA). Prior to joining the AWRA team, Farrand was the vice president of membership and chapter development for the Independent Electrical Contractors Association (IEC), a national trade association, where she created strong new sources of revenue and organizational growth. Her other association successes include building programs and services, increasing membership and fostering high performing teams that put members at the center of their work. She is a certified association executive (CAE), and holds a masters degree in public administration/non-profit management from University of Missouri-Columbia and a masters degree in public policy from St. Louis University.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Sarah Rountree Schlessinger, Executive Director of the Texas Water Foundation. Schlessinger previously worked in groundwater policy and regulation, and has experience with international non-profits with interest in water policy.
She currently serves as an appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory Council, and holds a Master of Science in Water Science, Policy and Management from the University of Oxford.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Peter Lake, the Chairman of the Texas Water Development Board. Lake has served as a Board member of the Texas Water Development Board since December 15, 2015. Governor Greg Abbott designated him Chairman in February 2018.Lake has held a variety of financial roles across a number of industries. Previously, he acted as director of research and head of automated trading at Gambit Trading, a member firm of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. In this capacity, he led the firm's market research initiatives and directed the development of its first automated trading programs. As one of the firm’s proprietary market makers he also traded interest rate derivatives, primarily focusing on U.S. Treasury bond futures.He has also served as director of business development for Lake Ronel Oil Company, where he focused on financial analysis of upstream oil and gas opportunities. In addition, he served as director of special operations for VantageCap Partners. In this position he played a key role in the due diligence, valuation, and transactional aspects of the successful divestment of the firm’s primary investment.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Leah Martinsson, the Executive Director of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts (TAGD). Leah joined TAGD as the executive director in March 2019. She recently relocated to Texas from Colorado, where she was a practicing water rights attorney for over 15 years. In her legal practice, she has represented the interests of a wide range of water users – from municipal water providers to agricultural well users.
In addition to obtaining new water rights and protecting existing rights for her clients, Leah also participated in Colorado’s statewide water planning process and associated water-related legislation. She has been active in Colorado’s efforts to develop alternative methods to permanent transfers of agricultural water to meet growing municipal demands, including the development and implementation of a temporary land fallowing – water leasing program. Leah obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and her law degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Jennifer Bowles, the Executive Director of the Water Education Foundation. The Water Education Foundation is a Sacramento based nonprofit organization that works to create a better understanding of water resources and foster public understanding and resolution of water resource issues through facilitation, education and outreach.
Prior to joining the Foundation in 2014, Jennifer was an award winning journalist covering western water issues. Jennifer received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and history from the University of Southern California.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Clint Wolfe and Daniel Cunningham about saving water by landscaping with native plants, rainwatering harvesting, and other topics.
Clint Wolfe is the Program Manager for the Water University. Clint facilitates a team of water resources professionals to assist with research and outreach programming in the areas of water quality, water use efficiency and watershed planning. He is charged to work with local governments, state and federal agencies and other entities to develop programs dealing with water quantity and quality issues. Wolfe specializes in program development, stakeholder facilitation, communications and marketing.
Daniel Cunningham, Horticulturist of Texas A&M AgriLife's Water University program, reaches professionals and the public with the most current sustainability information about landscape water use, including design, plant selection, and water-conserving landscape management practices. His primary focus is a holistic approach to landscaping and food production systems. Cunningham specializes in Texas native plants and trees, vegetable gardening, edible landscaping, and rainwater harvesting. He is also passionate about utilizing landscapes as habitat for beneficial wildlife.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with a panel about water and new startup technologies. The participants are led by Erin Keys who manages Water RIOT (Water Resiliency with Internet of Things) at the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI), which is the deep technology incubator affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin (UT). With Erin are John Higley who is CEO of EQO, which has developed a zebra mussel monitoring and detection service; and Jim Brotherton, CEO of Hydroid, which has developed a smart water meter that saves money, conserves water and protects your property from water damage.
ATI is the longest active technology incubator in the United States. Water RIOT’s partners are: Pecan Street, 3-Day Startup, FATHOM, the City of Austin, the UT Energy Institute, and the UT Bureau of Business Research.
You can learn more about ATI’s Water RIOT, EQO and Hydroid by visiting their websites:
ATI’s Water RIOT: https://ati.utexas.edu/wriot/
EQO: http://www.eqo.life/
Hydroid: https://hydroidmeter.com/
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Dr. Rosario Sanchez, who is a Senior Research Scientist and Associate Graduate Faculty in the Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) at Texas A&M University. She is the Principal Investigator of the Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act Program funded by the USGS. Her work is to integrate, develop and create research and data on transboundary aquifers between Mexico and the United States, particularly with Texas. She has 15 years of academic and work experience on transboundary issues between Mexico and the United States and has been working and publishing on transboundary water issues at international and binational level since 2006. Her work has been cited by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in 2016 and 2018. She has recently published the only complete study on transboundary aquifers between Mexico and Texas that has deserved recognition by state and federal agencies from both sides of the border. She is now working on developing models for cooperation and management of transboundary aquifers between Mexico and the United States.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Lara Fowler, who is a mediator and an attorney focused on all things water, energy, and dispute resolution. Prior to joining Penn State in 2012, she worked on public policy issues for the Oregon Water Resources Department and practiced law Seattle. As a private practitioner, she helped facilitate discussions on water issues in Washington, California, and Oregon. She now holds a joint appointment as a Senior Lecturer at Penn State Law and the Assistant Director for Outreach and Engagement with Penn State’s Institute of Energy and the Environment. She will be a Fulbright Scholar in Sweden during the 2019-2020 academic year, partnered with Dr. Ashok Swain, who is the UNESCO Chair of International Water Cooperation, and Director of the Research School for International Water Cooperation at Uppsala University.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Léna Salamé, who served in the United Nations’ system for 17 years as the strategic and operational coordinator of its programme on water conflict and cooperation. She played a central role in the development and promotion of the modern concept of hydro-diplomacy. She served in the United Nations’ system for 17 years as the strategic and operational coordinator of its programme on water conflict and cooperation. She played a central role in the development and promotion of the modern concept of hydro-diplomacy.
Léna conceived around a 100 training courses and capacity building activities on international law, conflict management, confidence building and cooperation processes. She trained over 1500 persons on related topics. She also lectured in over 200 international events around the world. She was born and raised in a multicultural environment. She is fluent in English, French and Arabic and enjoys a conversational level in Spanish. Léna graduated from the Sorbonne University in Paris as a lawyer in international public law. She specialized in conflict management and mediation, at a Harvard-MIT-Tufts joint programme and MWI, Boston, respectively.
She is a member of the Program on International Negotiation Training (POINT) network. She serves as a Trustee for Water Witness International and is currently affiliated to the University of Geneva. She provides consultancy services to various universities, NGOs, IGOs and national governments.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Darren Thompson, who is the Director of Water Resources at the San Antonio Water System (SAWS). Darren has spent the past twenty-two years of his career at SAWS in various roles within the company. He began his career with SAWS as an intern in the Water Resources Department and now serves as Director, where he is responsible for the oversight of San Antonio’s long-term water supply. Darren attended the University of Texas at Austin where he received a bachelor’s degree in government. He later received a master’s degree in public administration while attending the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Michael E. Campana is Professor of Hydrogeology and Water Resources Management at Oregon State University (OSU) and Technical Director of the American Water Resources Association. He formerly directed the Water Resources Program at the University of New Mexico where he is Emeritus Professor. Interests include hydrogeology; hydrophilanthropy; IWRM (integrated water resources management); WaSH (water, sanitation, and hygiene); in developing regions; water policy; managed aquifer recharge; and education. He is an inveterate Water Wonk; as WaterWired he blogs and Tweets on water and related issues. His hydrophilanthropy, The Ann Campana Judge Foundation, supports and conducts WaSH work in Central America.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Lori Olson, who is the Executive Director of the Texas Land Trust Council. Lori has extensive experience in the field of land conservation and has worked with a number of land trusts across the country.
Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Matt Weiser, who is a former contributing editor at Water Deeply and helped launch the organization as its first managing editor in June 2015. Weiser has covered environmental issues in California for 30 years as a reporter, editor and freelance writer.
Texas+Water introduces our podcast, talk+water. In our first installment Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, discusses the recent nine-part collaboration between the Texas Observer and Quartz titled Shallow Waters with reporters Naveena Sadasivam and Zoë Schlanger.