Talk+water Podcast

Send us a textTexas+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.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. 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.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. 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.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 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.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 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.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 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.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. 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.

Send us a textTexas+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.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. 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.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 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.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 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.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. 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.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 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.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 Margaret Martens from the Water Systems Council and Susan O’Grady from Xylem Inc. Margaret 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.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 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 sustain

Send us a textTexas+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.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 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.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 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

Send us a textTexas+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 la

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