Talk+Water Podcast

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 Seefelt 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 emphasi​s 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 (WSC), 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. Martens has over 30 years of nonprofit experience. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Davidson Housing Coalition in Davidson, North Carolina. Martens is a graduate of Arizona State University. Susan O’GradySusan O’Grady, Xylem Director of Marketing, Residential and Agriculture at Xylem Inc., and has more than 20 years of experience in the residential and agriculture pump market. She consistently works to make a positive impact on the water quality industry through Watermark, Xylem’s corporate citizen program. She holds degrees from Pepperdine University and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. 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.