Talk+water Podcast

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.T

Send us a textTexas+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 Gran

Send us a textTexas+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

Send us a textTexas+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 Res

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a d

Send us a textTexas+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 of 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 emphasi​s in water management, water resources, international water treaties, water quality, environmental enforcement and compliance issues, and waste management.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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 Unive

Send us a textDr. 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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTodd 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/24s5j5y8Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Send us a textTexas+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