Podcasts about metropolitan water district

In this episode of Gangland Wire, retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective Gary Jenkins sits down with author Aaron Mead to discuss his gripping novel Body in the Barrel, a story inspired by a real-life discovery in Lake Mead that shocked the nation. In 2022, as water levels at Lake Mead dropped to historic lows, authorities discovered a body in a barrel with a gunshot wound to the head—a killing style that many investigators immediately linked to organized crime. The discovery triggered speculation that the remains could date back to the 1970s or 1980s, the heyday of mob activity in Las Vegas. Aaron Mead explains how this discovery sparked the idea for his novel. Although Mead is a longtime water engineer for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the mystery of the barrel victim and the history of mob activity in Las Vegas inspired him to craft a fictional story grounded in real events. Gary and Aaron dive deep into the Chicago Outfit's influence in Las Vegas, discussing figures like Tony Spilotro and hitman Frank Cullotta, whose violent methods and stories helped shape the mythology of organized crime in the desert. They also explore the long-standing mob practice of disposing of bodies in barrels, including the infamous case of mobster Johnny Roselli, whose body was also discovered stuffed in a drum. The conversation examines several possible identities of the Lake Mead victim, including casino insiders and Outfit associates who disappeared during the era of casino skimming. Mead's novel follows a fictional mob associate named Lenny Battaglia, who becomes terrified when news breaks about the barrel discovery. The reason? He knows there's another barrel—with his victim—still resting somewhere in Lake Mead. The discussion moves beyond mob history into the psychological consequences of violence, comparing Mead's story to classic works like Crime and Punishment. Rather than focusing on a traditional “whodunit,” the novel explores what happens after the crime, examining guilt, fear, and the moral weight carried by those who commit violence. Gary and Aaron also discuss the broader context of violence in American culture, including parallels between organized crime murders and modern tragedies such as the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting. Finally, the conversation shifts to Mead's professional expertise in Western water law and the Colorado River, explaining how drought and declining water levels at Lake Mead are literally revealing pieces of hidden history—sometimes including crimes buried for decades. This episode blends mob history, real crime mysteries, and fiction inspired by true events, offering listeners a fascinating look at how the past can resurface in unexpected ways. Click here to find Body in a Barrel Hit me up on Venmo for a cup of coffee or a shot and a beer @ganglandwire Click here to “buy me a cup of coffee” Subscribe to the website for weekly notifications about updates and other Mob information. To go to the store or make a donation or rent Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup, click here To rent ‘Brothers against Brothers’ or ‘Gangland Wire,’ the documentaries click here.  To purchase one of my books, click here. [0:02]Introduction to Gangland Wire [0:00]Hey, all you wiretappers, good to be back here in studio of Gangland Wire. This is Gary Jenkins. You know, I’m a retired Kansas City Police Intelligence Unit detective. Now I have a podcast and I interview real crime mobsters, policemen, FBI agents, do authors that are doing true crime books. And I do authors that are doing novels that are based on true crime. Because we stick with true crime as close as we can here, guys. You know that. And today I have one of those authors that has written a book that is a novel, but it’s based on a lot of real events in Las Vegas. And we all know a little bit about Las Vegas and the Mafia. So Aaron Mead, welcome, Aaron. Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here. It’s great to have you on the show. Tell us a little bit about yourself, a little bit about your history. [0:47]Sure. Yeah, I’m actually I’ve been working as an engineer, a water engineer for 30 some odd years. And so I come by my writing habit as a sort of a side interest. I, I, yeah, I just, I got a very, I’ve got a varied educational background too. So I started out as a, as an engineer in my training and then just had a creative itch and went back to school, ended up doing a PhD in philosophy of all things. And while I was doing that, I, I thought I might be an academic. I thought I might be a professor at one time and through the job search, things didn’t really work out. I did find a job, but it just wasn’t going to pay well enough, consider moving my family across the country for it. So I ended up not going into academia, but I stuck with writing, which was my favorite part of the PhD, the dissertation. [1:31]And I just started writing different things, some nonfiction stuff related to my dissertation research, but then just got an idea for a story, wrote a novel. It’s still sitting in the drawer. I’m interested in publishing that someday. But this idea for the book related to kind of Las Vegas mob stuff actually came connected with my work as a water engineer. So I work for Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. We import water to Southern California from the Colorado River. And so I track the Colorado River news pretty closely. And in 2022, the lake was dropping because of drought and overuse. And this body in a barrel showed up on the shore of Lake Mead. And there was a gunshot wound to the head. And this looked an awful lot like a mob hit to the authorities. And so this just piqued my interest and got me thinking about how did this barrel get there and this body and what’s the story behind it. And I started doing a little research and it turns out that the clothing on the body was pretty well preserved. [2:29]So the police dated it to the late 70s, early 80s potentially. And that’s of course the heyday of the mob activities in Las Vegas. It got me onto the Chicago outfit and, Some of the characters involved in the outfits activity in Vegas there. And so my story just went from there. But, yeah, I guess that’s a little about me and the story. So, yeah. Yeah. Those are the days when Tony Spolatro was really active out there. Chicago outfit man on the scene, if you will. And Body in a Barrel, another interesting Chicago link is they found a guy named Johnny Roselli, who was a highly placed mob guy who was connected to Las Vegas and Los Angeles. He had been their guy before Spalatro. He had been their representative out in the West, and they found his body in a barrel down in Florida. Wow, okay. There’s some reference there. [3:21]I’d read a little that this is a pretty popular method of body disposal in various times. And Tony Spalatro was, I understand that they haven’t actually identified the victim yet, but the kind of style of killing they think is pretty connected with something Tony Spalatro might do. I guess the sort of low caliber gunshot wound was a popular way to dispose of it, to whack people just because it was a little less messy than a high caliber weapon. Yeah, this is one they call it a lupara blanca, which means white shotgun in Italian. And that means that you never find the body. In this case, they found the body. Every once in a while, they’ll find the body. Not very often, though. Usually they hide them pretty good. Now, who’d ever thought that Lake Mead would drop that much? Yeah, they dropped it at 100 feet of water, and I don’t think anybody expected it to drop that low. And it could go even lower in the next couple of years here, honestly. Really? Oh, really? It’s still dropping. I thought there’d been some more rain and some snow up in the mountains that were going to add to that. It’s going to be still dropping, huh? Yeah, there has been a fair bit of precipitation this year, but in the areas that count most, where you get most of the runoff, which is up in the mountains of Colorado and Utah, it’s really quite dry, actually. They’ve had some rain, but not much snow, and so they’re talking about a snow drought. Yeah, things could. It just depends. We’ll see how things develop, but it could get bad. Yeah, talk about that gun now. Chicago was noted. [4:40]For using these 22 caliber high standard i think they’re browning semi-automatic pistols with a silencer on it and they had them out there i believe and they also another interesting thing about the outfit in order to keep the sound down they would load their own shells and so they were had less powder in them and sometimes the shells didn’t do the job that they wanted to do now frank Kulata, who was in Las Vegas working for Tony Splattro during these years, he tells a story about trying to kill a guy with one of those guns and how he had such a hard time getting him killed. So I don’t know how many holes were in this guy’s head, but you got to get somebody just right in the head with that .22 caliber pistol. Yeah, they say it had to be pretty close range. You’re talking about the Jerry Listener murder, I think. Is that right? Yeah. I read about that one. That’s actually the kind of the murder in question in my book is based on that loosely. And so yeah, Kolata advises my main character, Lenny, to load his gun with half loads because they’ve lost their silencer or something. So that’ll keep the sound down. But yeah, I guess Lister ended up with multiple bullets to the head. And when they found them, more than you’d imagine would be necessary. [5:55]Really? There’s a guy that worked for the Stardust named Jay VanderWalk that disappeared at the time. It disappeared for a long time. Did you look at that one, too, as some of your source material? Yeah. So there’s this great article that’s been turned into a podcast on the Mob Museum website. I don’t know if you’re familiar with that in Las Vegas there. And they suggest there might be three potential victims. [6:21]VanderMark is one of the—is that the guy you mentioned, George VanderMark? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they call him by Jay. That’s right. Yeah. So, yeah, he is one of the, he’s a missing person, right? From that era, had connections with the Argent company. So they think he, that’s one of the possibilities. He was running the skimming operation, at least in some of the casinos there for Argent. And I guess the, as the gaming control board in Nevada found out about the skimming operation, gradually, they were starting to talk to people. And I think that they were worried that he was going to talk or actually this is, I think the, the outfit suspected he was stealing money from him. I think it was a combination. Stealing money is worse than talking. Right, yeah. So I guess he took off to Mexico, maybe, I read, or Costa Rica even. But I think… He came back. I can’t remember the exact story, but yeah. Yeah. So from what I read, Nick Calabrese, who I guess was a hitman for the outfit, and then turned eventually and started talking to the feds. He suggested that, I guess, Vandermark ended up in a hotel in Phoenix or something, and the outfit sent a couple of hitmen after him and whacked him there. And then Calabrese said they buried his body in the desert. So that means, you know, if that’s true, then obviously it’s not the guy in the barrel, but he’s one of the ones they talk about because they never found his body. Yeah. And I guess the other one I read about was William Crespo. [7:40]I don’t know that story. Yeah. So the little I know of it is he was a drug runner [7:48]Stories of the Las Vegas Mob [7:45]involved with the outfit in Las Vegas. And he got caught kind of landing in the Las Vegas airport coming from Miami with $400,000 worth of cocaine on him. And the feds arrested him. He accepted an offer of immunity to become an informant. And he was set to testify about this drug ring that the outfit was part of. And he actually ended up testifying before a grand jury, got a bunch of folks indicted. I guess one of the names of folks who was indicted was Victor Greger, according to this article. He was a former Argent executive. But then when Crespo himself went to testify, he was set to testify in June 83. And they got to him before then and he never testified. So, he’s another kind of missing person they suspect could be in the barrel. But the article thought the most likely candidate was a guy named Johnny Pappas. I don’t know if you know him at all. Yeah, I don’t know the story of that. Okay. So, this is a Chicago native guy who was involved in some of the Argent Corporation casino work. And he was, I guess by the 70s, late 70s, he was managing this resort on the northern part of Lake Mead called Echo Bay Resort, which was an Argent Corporation Resort. [9:00]And it’s closed now. It’s not there anymore. It used to be like a hotel and a boat launch. And so he was at the lake at different times. He also owned a boat on Lake Mead. And so in 1976, the day he disappeared, his wife told authorities basically that he went to meet this guy at a restaurant who was interested in buying his boat at Lake Mead. And so they think it could have been a ruse set up by outfit folks luring him basically down to the lake to show him his boat. And then they knock him off and take him out on his own dang boat and drop him in the lake. The motive is a little less clear in this case, but it was around that time when stuff was coming out about the Argent Corporation and the skimming. And they could have just thought he was a liability, might be set to talk or something. Yeah, those are the three that I read about anyway. He just disappeared after this meeting to go sell his boat. Yeah, they found that theory makes sense. They found his car parked in the circus casino parking lot on the strip the next day. And yeah, he’s just gone, disappeared. [10:01]I’ll be darned. I hadn’t heard that story. That is a pretty likely scenario. Say, hey, I’ll drive and let’s run down there and let’s see that boat. I got the money right here. You show the guy a bunch of money and he’ll drop all caution. It’ll go to the wind. That’s how they do it. and got him isolated then. [10:18]Yeah. And maybe it’s a last minute deal. So nobody really knows who he’s meeting and where he’s going and that he’s even going. So that’s, that’s a classic in the mob. Yeah. Apparently he told his wife he was going to go sell his boat, but that’s about it. Yeah. I’ll be darned. Yeah. The, as Lake Mead’s gone down, has there been any other bodies or any other things that have been found out there recently? Yeah, there’s been some strange things turned up. One is a sort of a World War II era airplane, honestly, started coming out of the water. But that was known about for some time. You could see it, I guess, from aerial photos. But other bodies, yeah, there’s a few other bodies, just skeletons, nothing in barrels and no gunshot wounds. And so, people just, I think authorities have identified most of those and suspect they were just drowning victims, unfortunate boating accidents and whatnot. But nothing like this body in a barrel. I think they’ve been trying to identify that body. There’s lots of DNA evidence, right? You got still a pretty intact body. But the problem is back in that era, I guess they didn’t have the DNA database to be matching with. Yeah. So, it’s not borne a lot of fruit. I think it’s still an open case, honestly. Really? The chance they have is if one of that guy’s descendants goes to something like 23andMe and then does that. And I know they’ve come up with a deal where they can start running an unknown DNA through those… [11:44]Files and see if you can come up with a connection and then go back and say, okay, where would this guy have ever come across or be in this other person’s family tree, if you will, and then they can eventually get it. That’s fascinating. Amazing. Yeah, it is what they could do. I had a guy that used to be a professional criminal talking about it. He said, I don’t know why anybody does crime today. He said with the DNA and the cameras and the cell phones and all that, he said, there’s just way, way too many ways to get caught. That’s wild. Yeah. Oh boy. Yeah. I watch a lot of crime shows and I see a lot of that stuff. And everybody watches those crime shows. So they know about those tools out there. So first thing, you got to go get a burner phone. If you’re going to go do something, you better go get a burner phone. And then you better dress up in one of those suits in those English police movies, those white hazmat suits and your whole face covered. Crazy, crazy. Yeah. And then go do it. Don’t use your own car. You better go steal a car somewhere. Man, complicated. It’s too hard. Yes. And even then, if they look at you and say, your phone never moved for 24 hours, but yet you were seen over here or over there. How come you didn’t have your phone with you or your car? You parked your car here for 12 hours and then you came back and got it. What were you doing? [13:08]It is just crazy, isn’t it? Yeah. But tell us, what’s the storyline of your book? Don’t give too much away. You want people to buy it. I understand that. But tell the guys the storyline of your book. Sure, yeah. So the storyline is, it starts out with the true events of 2022, right? This headline that there’s a body in a barrel shows up on the shore of Lake Mead. And my main protagonist, who’s sort of made up from my imagination, his name’s Lenny Battaglia. [13:37]The Body in the Barrel [13:33]And he reads this headline. He’s an old time mob associate. He, at one time when he was young, was connected with the outfit, but ended up getting out of it barely. But he reads this headline and starts to get worried because he’s got a barrel with a body in it that’s his victim farther out in the lake. So this one that he reads about is not his. It’s actually his partners who, in my story, the partners loosely based on Frank Collada, actually. [14:01]And so he reads this headline, gets worried, goes out in his little boat to try to move his victim farther out into the lake because he’s concerned that his lake, the lake’s continuing to drop and the kind of the falling lakes acts like a ticking clock in my story in some ways. I think the Sopranos did something like this. They thought somebody was going to come up and buy some farm, and they had said, these guys have to dig this body up and move it. So that is not out of the realm of possibility, is it? No, no. But what is out of the realm of possibility is this old guy in his tiny little boat actually moving the barrel. So he goes out with just a gaff with a hook on it and tries to yank it out with his little outboard motor, and it just won’t budge. The thing’s really heavy. If you know anything about water, stuff under water is really heavy. Really heavy. Yeah. He’s wrestling with it and ends up falling in while he’s trying to pull this barrel farther out. And so it’s a big failure. And while he’s falling in, he has this flashback to the killing, basically. And so the story kind of goes from there, but it’s really focused on how he deals with what he’s done, basically. [15:10]Crime is no mystery from the beginning. it’s not a it’s not a traditional it’s not a traditional police procedural of where who done it yeah it’s not like that it’s more like kind of what is what’s the aftermath what’s the effect of, a terrible crime like this on even the perpetrator yeah yeah and as I said one of my characters is based on Frank Collada who so he was the story takes place in kind of two time frames right we’ve got the, contemporary time frame, but then we got flashbacks to his time at the mob and Frank was his partner in this hit. We’ve also got a character showing up who’s based on Tony Spolatro. I call him Tony Bonucci, named after one of my favorite Italian soccer players. [15:50]But yeah, so we’ve got this connection to the early 80s, late 70s, and then also this kind of contemporary period. And I understand Frank Collado was actually, he recently just died, right he was he did during covid times i think he he already had copd he was already everything he did he you’d see me to have his oxygen on and so he was already weakened then he got covid during uh during covid that’s a shame you know yeah i did some listening to a podcast he was on in researching my book and it was really fascinating to listen to yeah yeah he is he’s and he’s got his there’s a whole book out there that he mainly just told stories about his life during the whole book. It’s amazing. I did one with him and then added some more clips in from that a long time. One of my earlier ones, I got to know him real early because we had the mob con out there. I knew the guy that was getting it going and I went out to the guy that actually Denny Griffin who wrote the books with Frank Collider, wrote several books with Frank Collider and I’d gotten to know Denny and so Denny invited me to come out and do a program at the first mob conference and I met Frank then. I met him and a couple others after that. He was gruff, but he was a good guy. I mean, he was gruff, I’ll tell you. He wasn’t a guy that just, it was hard to joke around with him. Interesting. Okay, interesting. [17:12]Yeah, I got a bit of that vibe from the podcast of him that I was listening to. Yeah, it’s funny. Just genuine Italian Chicago, like to the core. Yeah, he was that. He was born and bred, born and bred from early his childhood. He was a Chicago mobster. There’s no doubt about that. That’s wild. [17:32]Yeah, Denny Griffin’s book was really helpful to me, actually, in my research. Yeah, the battle for Las Vegas in particular was. Yeah, that’s the one I used. Denny was that. Denny’s dead now. I don’t know if you knew that. I did know that, unfortunately. Yeah, I was pretty good friends with Denny. He helped me out a lot when I got started and got me out there. And he gave me for my first documentary, which was about the skimming, a lot about the skimming. He got me several people to interview, lined me up with them and verified, hey, this guy’s okay and work with him. And I flew out to Las Vegas and interviewed a bunch of people and interviewed him too. But he got me an employee of the Best Casino that knew Lefty Rosenthal really well. She gave us some really great sound bites. I get calls today or emails wanting to know if she’s still around. She’s died since. People are still trying to find her to get to interview her. That’s wild. That’s wild. That’s because old Denny Griffin, he was a good guy. He really was. That’s neat. His book was certainly good. Yeah. Interesting. So what else do you want to say about your book before we get out of here? Besides, go out and buy it. Go out and buy it. It’s on Amazon, I’m sure, and I’ll have a link to the Amazon site. I appreciate that. Yeah, it is on Amazon. What do I want to say about it? I guess the other thing to say is it’s got some, I don’t want to give too much away, but gun violence is really a big part of the book. Not only this single mob hit, but also it wraps in. [18:56]This mass shooting in 2017, the one where the guy was a shooter was in the hotel suites up high and he was shooting across the street into that country music festival. So it’s really funny. I compare it to two things, right? I compare it to Casino, which is this famous Scorsese film from that mobster era, which everybody knows about. And actually, Frank Collado was in. He had a cameo in that. Yeah, that’s funny. But then the other thing I compare the book to is Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, which is obviously this sort of towering literary novel. But the parallel is just dealing with this aftermath of violence, right? What happens when you kill somebody and what’s the sort of dealing with guilt and fear and the consequences. [19:44]Exploring Themes of Violence [19:40]So I’d say those are the sort of things I point to as parallels for the book. I don’t know. There’s a lot more to say. Like you’ve said, it’s grounded in true life crime, but it’s also definitely fiction. I’ve made up the better part of it. Yeah. [19:54]All right. Aaron Mead. The book is Body in the Barrel. Aaron, I really appreciate you coming on the show. And guys, I’ll have links to this book down below. Yeah, thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure meeting you and hearing some of your stories. And I’m enjoying your podcast. And it’s been a privilege to be on here. So thank you. Okay. We like to hear that. Thanks a lot, Aaron. [20:17]Yeah, thank you. Okay. Okay. I’ll do a little extra here in a minute. I just want to tell you something. When I went to law school at the police department and my favorite class was water law and I did my, you have to do a 50 page publishable paper to get out of law school. I did mine on Western water law and it was just, I was fascinated by that Western water law and all the things that go into that, the Rio Grande Pact and all the different political entities that are trying to use that water and how they use it. And then how the EPA rules and figured in on using water out West. And the fact that out West, they treated water like they treated gold or some other mineral. If you found the source, you owned it. Whereas they had riparian interest in [21:06]The Complexities of Water Law [21:03]laws back East here, where you have plenty of water. You can use all the water you want as long as you don’t reduce it. But nobody owns that source of water. [21:12]If it’s a big source, it’s just a fascinating topic. Yeah, it is a bit of the Wild West, like applies to water out West. It’s that first in time, first in right thing. It’s pretty crazy. The Colorado River especially is so complicated. You got seven, seven states take water from it. You got the federal government running the dams there. You’ve got Mexico that takes a portion of it. You’ve got this whole hundred year history of law layered on top of each other. And even today, the rules on how the water gets distributed are about to expire in this year. And so we’re trying to come up with new rules. And it’s just so tough because… [21:49]There’s less water in the river than there used to be, and so the old agreements don’t quite work out, and we’re having to take reductions, and, you know, who takes what? It’s just sort of a big mess, honestly. We’re fighting over it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up in court, honestly. But that would be not a good outcome, but it seems potentially likely. Yeah. There’s a judge I heard say once that, you better make a deal outside of my courtroom. If you come into my courtroom, my decision is not going to hurt everybody’s feelings with my decision. Yeah. And inevitably, like the folks, the special masters or whatever the justices are that are making the decisions, they don’t know as much about water as we do. If we can’t work it out, it’s going to happen. I know. And there are just so many pressures that are on it. And it’s tough. And plus, one thing we haven’t mentioned is a huge growth in population over the last 20, 30 years out there. It’s true. Yeah, it’s true. Yes, unbelievable how many people have moved to Phoenix and Albuquerque and Las Vegas, especially Las Vegas, but just being such a huge growth in population out. And before it was desert that nobody really, they didn’t live, they didn’t want to live out there. [22:55]It’s true. Yeah. And surprisingly, like in a lot of these cities, actually, the demand for water has not increased. Like in Las Vegas, it’s actually gone down. Oh, really? They have done an incredible job of conserving water. Same in Los Angeles. The demands for water have gone down despite the population growth. The thing that makes it challenging is that the whole pie is shrinking and it’s the agricultural use that’s the highest. I think it’s something like 85% or 80% of the water in the Colorado Basin is agriculture. And so, those are the things you’re going to need to find conservation there, which is harder. [23:30]Like those Israelis did, it was something called drip irrigation where they used, they were more skillful in the way they used their water in their fields down in the desert. Yeah, and some of the folks that’s been, some of the agricultural folks have been converting to that kind of irrigation for quite some time now. So, it’s like we’re wringing out every sponge we got and running out of options. But, yeah, we’ll figure it out one way or the other here. Yeah, I’m sure we will. This is America, after all. [23:59]Or is it still America? It’s hard to know. Yeah, it’s hard to know. We’re going down that path. Looking a little different these days. Yes, it is. Yeah. Oh, my God. Okay, Aaron, I really appreciate it. I’ll get in touch with you whenever I send an email with the links after I put them up. It’ll be, I don’t know. It’ll probably be a month or more before I get it up. Sure. I stay way ahead. I’ve got quite a few kind of scheduled up for the next two weeks now or three. Smart. Two weeks now, one just went up today. So I put it up, video, I put them up on Sunday evening, and then the audio comes out like 4 o’clock in the morning on Monday morning. Okay. Don’t ask me why. I just started doing that. Yeah. No worries. It gets ahead of everybody. Then they can see it. Hey, I’ve got a question for you, if you don’t, if you don’t mind. No. Do you know about any contemporary organized crime activity in Las Vegas? Is there still stuff going on or is it? I don’t. I really don’t. Yeah. Okay. [24:59]Trying to think of a source for you. I’ll check with a source for you. Okay. I know it’s not Midwest folks from your era, but yeah. Yeah, no, probably something up there out at Los Angeles and people that moved out there a generation ago and stayed under the radar. And then, of course, international. Yeah. Those like Russians and people like that out of Phoenix or in Los Angeles, both. Anyhow, I’ll check on that. Okay. Yeah. If you think of something, that’d be great. I’d be interested. Okay. Okay. I will. All right. Thank you. Thank you again. Take care. All right. Bye-bye. Can you go ahead and do, can you exit the meeting? I’m going to do a little ending thing here. I will. Yeah. [25:40]That was interesting, folks. I did Waterlaw in, well, that was interesting, folks. I really liked Aaron and I think his Body in the Barrel book is going to be pretty darn good. [25:53]Concluding Thoughts on Crime and History [25:50]So I’d recommend you try it. I haven’t actually read it myself. I’ve read excerpts from it. I’ve got it here. I need to sit down and take some time and read it. I like when they base it on the real life people and some people that I know something about. It’s kind of like hearing stories about your hometown. Oh, yeah, I know that guy. Oh, yeah, I remember when that happened. And it’s an interesting thing, the lowering of Lake Mead. He and I, he’s a water engineer, and he and I talked a little bit more about it. I find it a fascinating topic, that Western water law and Western water rights and how that all works. It’s different than back east where we have plenty of water. So don’t forget, I’ve got videos on Amazon Prime for rent. Just use my name and mafia, Gary Jenkins Mafia on Amazon Prime, and you’ll find them. And I’ve got books there. Do the same thing. Gary Jenkins Mafia books. I’ve got three books on Amazon and I’ve got them on my website. And I always appreciate when people make comments on my YouTube channel or on my Gangland Wire podcast page. We’re just here to report mob history. That’s all we want to do is report mob history. And in this case, we got a fictional book that’s reporting mob history based on real mob history. I’ll do that every once in a while, too. [27:07]So thanks a lot, guys. I always appreciate doing this show. It’s a way to end my life out, if you will. I’m down to that last quarter, maybe down to the last two minutes one of these days, but we’ll get there. Thanks a lot, guys.

Join host Charley Wilson, Executive Director of the Southern California Water Coalition, for a candid conversation with Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Board Chair Adán Ortega, Jr. and new General Manager Shivaji Deshmukh.  Recorded live in January 2026 at Santa Anita Park before 300 water, business, and community leaders, this compelling discussion tackles the future of Southern California's water supply. Key topics include: • Planning for the next century of water reliability • The true cost of aging infrastructure • Preparing for climate whiplash on the Colorado River • Why major projects aren't the biggest drivers of water bills • Balancing affordability with necessary investments Can Metropolitan invest enough to maintain system reliability while keeping water affordable and trusted? Tune in to hear water leaders address this critical question. The Southern California Water Coalition educates to advocate. Be part of the conversation. Be part of the solution. Learn more: https://socalwater.org #WhatMattersWaterTVandPodcast #SouthernCaliforniaWaterCoalition #WaterPolicy #CaliforniaWater #MetropolitanWaterDistrict #WaterInfrastructure #ClimateResilience #WaterAffordability #WaterConservation #SustainableWater #SCWC #WaterLeadership #CaliforniaDrought #ColoradoRiver #WaterSecurity

In this episode, we're excited to feature Andrea Doonan, an ecological landscape designer based in San Diego who is transforming how we think about residential landscapes. Andrea specializes in designing spaces that connect people with nature while incorporating regenerative and sustainable practices.  Her award-winning landscapes have been featured on garden tours and in publications throughout California. Beyond her design work, Andrea is deeply committed to education—teaching sustainable gardening practices through the G3 Green Gardens Group in partnership with the Metropolitan Water District, and mentoring emerging professionals through the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, where she also serves on the board.  Andrea's approach combines ecological function with artistic beauty, creating habitat gardens and implementing watershed-wise methodologies that address California's water challenges. She's passionate about collaboration and giving back to her community through involvement in food, garden, placemaking, and art initiatives.  Join us as we explore Andrea's journey, her design philosophy, and her vision for creating landscapes that truly sustain both people and planet. 

In this episode of 21st Century Water, we sit down with Heather Collins, president of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and operations leader at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. We trace Heather's path from engineering intern to managing water treatment for 19 million people, hearing how she was drawn into the water industry by chance and has stayed ever since. Her career journey is rooted in a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and public service, and it shapes her priorities as AWWA president today.We discuss the scale and complexity of running one of the nation's largest wholesale water operations, including the balancing act of hydrology, source water quality, demand planning, and emergency preparedness. Heather explains how her team maintains agility with five-layer-deep contingency plans and how their Climate Action Master Plan (CAMP) for Water aligns infrastructure, planning, and sustainability.Shifting to her role at AWWA, Heather outlines three key priorities: rebuilding public trust in water, cross-sector collaboration, and mentoring the next generation. She sees public trust as rooted in proactive communication, storytelling, and connecting with people on a human level. On collaboration, she's committed to engaging water-intensive industries like tech, agriculture, and healthcare in dialogue, making AWWA the go-to resource for best practices and research. Her goal is for these industries to reference AWWA as the authoritative source on water.Mentorship is also central to her leadership. Heather aims to demystify water careers for students and workers across generations, often drawing direct links between their interests and potential water sector roles. She emphasizes the power of being present and giving younger professionals the “cliff notes” to accelerate their learning and career development.Heather also reflects on managing crises, highlighting her work on emerging groundwater contaminants like MTBE and perchlorate while a public health regulator. That experience reinforced her belief in the value of engineered, science-based solutions. We close with a look at technology's role in water, where Heather embraces AI and advanced tools but insists we maintain a manual understanding to ensure resilience.Her legacy? To be remembered as a leader who led with kindness, purpose, and built lasting bridges—between people, sectors, and generations. Aquasight Website: https://aquasight.io/

Water conservation is a constant challenge for Californians, but according to the New York Times's Michael Kimmelman, there's one city that's doing it right: Los Angeles. Kimmelman found that L.A. has consumed less water in total since 1990 even as the city gained millions of residents. We talk with Kimmelman and California water officials about the strategies L.A. is using and what other states can learn from its example. Guests: Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic, New York Times Liz Crosson, chief sustainability, resiliency and innovation officer, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Mark Gold, board member of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; adjunct professor at UCLA's Institute for the Environment and Sustainability; former director of Water Scarcity Solutions for the Natural Resources Defense Council Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Time is of the essence for the Delta Conveyance Plan (DCP) studies and to help us understand what's going on and the urgency, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's Chairman Adán Ortega joined Darcy and Darcy. Recently Governor Newsome included the DCP as part of his Budget Trailer Package. Adán sets the record straight on how this legislation simply finishes the studies that are necessary so that decisions can be made with good data, rather than propaganda, misinformation, and wishful thinking.   He stresses throughout the interview that this legislation is not a blank check to build the tunnel; rather it does what hasn't been able to be done since the mid-1800's - finish a Delta conveyance study.This episode is a little intense, and sadly Darcy V. is suffering from laryngitis, but Darcy B. asks some tough questions. Adán doesn't sugar coat the dire situation the Delta finds itself in. The impact the Delta failure will have on its region, state, and country is catastrophic at best.  Adán shares some great insight on how Metropolitan has been preparing for a Delta failure, investing in storage and other risk mitigation efforts including its CAMP4H2O, but the reality is, this is a statewide issue. Help get the necessary studies completed and make the information available so that an informed decision can be made about the DCP once and for all. Contact your California state legislator and ask them to support the Governor's DCP Budget Trailer Package. If you are not sure who your legislator is, you can look them up at https://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/. You can even send them an email from their official page. Every voice counts and it's about time the legislature started counting yours.To learn more about Chairman Adán Ortega and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, please visit, www.mwdh2o.com. Send us a textWe Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Get ready for an in-depth look at the cutting edge of logistics with Thomas Wasson from ACT Expo! This episode of Truck Tech features a dual dive into the future of fleet operations. First, we sit down with Daniel Hilson, CEO and Founder of BetterFleet, to discuss how their innovative software is helping municipalities like the Metropolitan Water District strategically electrify their fleets. Learn about:1. The “digital twin” technology optimizing routes and vehicle utilization.2. Phased approaches to EV adoption for cost-effectiveness.3. Global trends in clean fleet mandates and what sets California apart.4. The critical importance of data in making smart electrification decisions. Then, we jump into the yard with Kalmar and Product Manager Ryan Sipple to unveil their groundbreaking autonomous electric terminal tractor, the Ottawa Auto-PT! Discover:1. How Kalmar Ottawa partnered with Forterra for the advanced autonomous drive software.2. The robust sensor suite and redundancy features enabling “driver-out” operations in pilots.3. The unique challenges and solutions for autonomous backing in a busy yard environment.4. The evolution of Kalmar's EV terminal tractor, now in its third generation, offering up to 20 hours of operation with opportunity charging.5. Insights into future developments like inductive charging and optimized powertrain configurations. This video is packed with essential information for anyone in fleet management, logistics, or interested in the future of sustainable and autonomous transportation! #TruckTech #ACTExpo #EVTrucks #AutonomousVehicles #TerminalTractor #YardDog #FleetElectrification #BetterFleet #KalmarOttawa #Forterra #CleanLogistics #SustainableTransportation #ElectricTrucks #FutureOfFreight #SupplyChainInnovation #DigitalTwin #SmartFleet #GreenTech #AutonomousDriving #FreightTech #ElectricTerminalTractor#trucking #logistics #news ⁠Follow the Truck Tech Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on Airtalk, the Syrian Captial has fallen, and we have experts to tell us what they think is next for the country. And, for our peek into history, we are looking at the contentious topic of raw milk in Southern California. As the Scrubs reboot begins development, we want to know which shows our listeners would love to see make a comeback. The Metropolitan Water District is voting on whether to continue funding the Delta tunnel project. We're discussing what the project looks like and arguments for both continuing and halting the project. The Federal Appeals Court has voted to uphold the TikTok ban. What does this mean for the app as Trump enters office? Marcia Clark, the prosecutor from OJ Simpson's infamous trial, has written a new book called Trial by Ambush: Murder, Injustice, and the Truth about the Case of Barbara Graham. Today on AirTalk: - Syrian capital has fallen. What's next? (0:15) - Socal History: Raw milk (19:09) - TV Reboots (36:27) - CA votes on Delta Conveyance Project (52:40) - TikTok ban upheld (1:10:48) - Marcia Clark, OJ Simpson's prosecutor, comes out with new book (1:25:45)

Join Sarah Noll Wilson and guest Tiana Sanchez as they examine the role of consistency and integrity in leadership, with real talk on how organizations can truly uphold commitments to diversity and inclusion. About Our Guest Tiana Sanchez, CEO and Founder of TSI, LLC, a Woman-Owned Small Business, brings over a decade of expertise as a Corporate Trainer and Business Consultant to leaders in the public and private sectors. With a #1 best-selling authorship and a globally recognized podcast, Tiana has earned acclaim for her insights, including a KTLA Morning News feature on workplace empathy. As an Award-Winning Executive Coach, she utilizes her diverse management background in Retail, Food and Beverage, and Finance to elevate people development. Leading Tiana Sanchez International, named "Best Executive Coaching" Program by HR.Com, Tiana specializes in delivering world-class leadership programs, keynotes, and seminars. Her tailored Diversity Audits and Pulse Surveys empower organizations with equitable practices, showcased through partnerships with renowned entities like Sempra, Metropolitan Water District, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and various government agencies. Tiana's impactful workshops at esteemed educational institutions underscore her commitment to elevating organizational effectiveness. Armed with a Psychology and Business Management background, Tiana is a sought-after speaker, contributing author, and dedicated advocate for sustainable leadership development. Links and Resources Website: www.tianasanchez.com LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tianasanchez Instagram: www.instagram.com/likearealbosslady YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TianaSanchez The New C-Suite: Civil Leadership in Action:  https://a.co/d/7KLVQGU

In this episode, Susan Kennedy, Chairman and CEO of Cadiz, Inc., discusses the company's mission to expand safe, reliable water access through innovative water management and conservation. Cadiz is focused on building infrastructure, such as a pipeline connecting their wellfield to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's Colorado River Aqueduct, storing surplus water underground, and treating water to remove harmful contaminants. Susan highlights partnerships like the one with the Farmworkers Institute of Education to install clean water filtration systems in underserved communities and shares the company's agricultural efforts in the Cadiz Valley. She also emphasizes how Cadiz's groundwater storage bank can supply water to areas like the Salton Sea and asserts that Southern California's drought concerns could be mitigated by utilizing millions of acre-feet of underground water in the Mojave Desert. Podcast Recorded on October 3, 2024

Darcy and Darcy are discussing some pretty incredible milestone events this week.  First, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California entered into two Memorandums of Understanding.  The first with Friant Water Authority and Westland Water District and the second with the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint. These non-binding agreements open the door to explore mutual beneficial groundwater storage projects as well as other water reliability efforts.  Urban and Ag are working together to solve big issues, and some said it would never happen!  It all starts with trust. Speaking of trust, Darcy B also shares some results from a recent Public Trust focus group study.  Spoiler alert – it's not good.  And the Darcys heard from you regarding their out-of-the-box water infrastructure funding ideas, more on that conversation to come.We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

As a variety of forces continue to change the water landscape in the American West, adaptation is the focus. This episode features conversations with several prominent water leaders from the One Water Summit in Tucson.Adel Hagekhalil, the General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, explains ambitious plans to capture, store, and recycle enormous amounts of water across the region. Felicia Marcus, a Fellow at Stanford University's Water In The West Program, discusses California's progress during the past decade and how it has created a comprehensive approach to adaptation. Sharon Megdal, a professor and Director of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona, talks about the role of research in building public understanding of problems and advancing tangible solutions.waterloop is a nonprofit media outlet. Visit waterloop.org

In this week's episode, join host Troy Edgar as he talks with Brett Barbre, President of Yorba Linda Water District. California, the fourth-largest economy globally relies heavily on water for various sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, energy, and tourism. With over 30 years of experience, Brett has served on the boards of the Municipal Water District of Orange County and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. He is considered an expert on water importations from northern California via the State Water Project and from the Colorado River via the Colorado River Aqueduct. This system supplies water to approximately 20 million residents - the largest population served by any water district worldwide.  Brett shares insights on water policy and the state of California's water infrastructure along with the intersection of politics and public service.  Episode Links: Colossus: The Turbulent, Thrilling Saga of the Building of Hoover Dam by Michael Hiltzik Richard Nixon Library

Introducing "What Matters Water TV + Podcast," your essential destination for all things water in California. In this groundbreaking series, we dive deep into the pivotal conversations and innovations that are shaping the future of water management in the Golden State. Join us as we sit down with some of California's top water leaders, including Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District; Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources; E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, and more. They'll provide insights into their roles, the challenges they face, and their visions for a sustainable water future in the nation's most populous state. But What Matters Water TV + Podcast goes beyond the boardroom. We explore the stories of communities, innovators, and everyday Californians whose lives are profoundly impacted by this precious resource. From drought resilience and storage to stormwater capture and groundwater management, we're at the forefront of water policy. Water is not just a resource; it's a reflection of our values and priorities. So whether you're a policy wonk, an environmental enthusiast, or simply someone who cares deeply about California's future, What Matters Water TV + Podcast is your gateway to understanding the most vital liquid in the West. Subscribe now and join us on this captivating journey through California's water landscape.

Introducing "What Matters Water TV + Podcast," your essential destination for all things water in California. In this groundbreaking series, we dive deep into the pivotal conversations and innovations that are shaping the future of water management in the Golden State. Join us as we sit down with some of California's top water leaders, including Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District; Karla Nemeth, Director of the California Department of Water Resources; E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, and more. They'll provide insights into their roles, the challenges they face, and their visions for a sustainable water future in the nation's most populous state. But What Matters Water TV + Podcast goes beyond the boardroom. We explore the stories of communities, innovators, and everyday Californians whose lives are profoundly impacted by this precious resource. From drought resilience and storage to stormwater capture and groundwater management, we're at the forefront of water policy. Water is not just a resource; it's a reflection of our values and priorities. So whether you're a policy wonk, an environmental enthusiast, or simply someone who cares deeply about California's future, What Matters Water TV + Podcast is your gateway to understanding the most vital liquid in the West. Subscribe now and join us on this captivating journey through California's water landscape.

This week's show brings a collective of WaterSmart Innovations Expo exhibitors who describe their business, products, and activities. Guests include Krista Guerrero of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Heidi Putze from Ecorain, Megan Jenkins from Yoppify, Volker Brohm at Gutermann, Quincy Hayes from Hayes Automation, Trey Cutler of Niagara Conservation, Kris Loomis from Sonoma Water, Janice Gould at Responsive Drip Irrigation, and Susan Musica from Flume Water. Podcast Recorded on October 5, 2023

Strange things happen·       Metropolitan Water District of Southern California·       Imperial Irrigation DistrictRole reversals·       Jeffrey Kightlinger now advising Imperial·       Imperial suddenly in mood to collaborate rather than demandSupport the show

In this episode, host Jon Switalski spoke with Adán Ortega, the Chair of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). Ortega took office as chair on January 1st of this year. We discussed the effects of the rain and storms in Southern California earlier this year, the challenges with building new water infrastructure, the future of water delivery in Southern California, and more! Please note this episode was recorded on June 28th, 2023.

Nature can solve problems for people although people created most of nature's problems in the first place, beginning 10,000 years ago. Tim LaSalle of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems at Chico State is spearheading a project on implementing regenerative practices to improve soil and water utilization on farm land near the Colorado River in Blythe California. With support from the LA based Metropolitan Water District priority is being given to truly nature based solutions that will have climate and economic implications world wide. It begins with a respect for how nature cured itself in times before chemicals and tillage.

ICYMI: Later, with Mo'Kelly Presents – Thoughts on the Metropolitan Water District lifting water restrictions for nearly 7M SoCal residents…PLUS – KFI Breaking News Reporter Corbin Carson joins the program to discuss the OC banning Tik Tok AND Amazon has revealed plans to offer internet access from space on KFI AM 640 – Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app

Join Darcy and Darcy as they welcome Metropolitan Water District of Southern California's new Chairman of the Board, Adán Ortega.  Serving as the first Latino Chairman, the first Chairman representing the City of San Fernando, and the first former Metropolitan Water District employee to serve as Chairman, it appears Adán has been preparing for this role his entire life.  With a once divided board, historical water supply challenges, and portions of Metropolitan's service area growing, listen in and hear what Adán has planned, his priorities, and what Metropolitan's brave new future looks like.We Grow California Podcast is paid for by the Exchange Contractors Federal PAC and Exchange Contractors State PAC and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Song playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Go to heartlandpod.com for information on all our political podcasts, and a link to support our work on Patreon. Sign up as an Official PODhead for just $5 per month to access all our premium podcast segments and political writing. To join the conversation on Twitter, find us at THE Heartland POD. Alright! Let's get into it: NEVADA CURRENT: Water managers across drought-stricken West agree on one thing: ‘This is going to be painful'BY JENIFFER SOLIS - MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 2022 5:25 AMWater authorities in the Western U.S. don't have a crystal ball, but rapidly receding reservoirs uncovering sunken boats and other debris lost in their depths decades ago give a clear view of the hard choices ahead.If western states do not agree on a plan to safeguard the Colorado River — the source of the region's vitality — there won't be enough water for anyone.Water managers, researchers, agricultural producers and others from across the drought-stricken river basin met in Las Vegas last week for the Colorado River Water Users Association annual convention to face hard truths about the state of the river and historically-low levels of its biggest reservoirs.Two decades of drought and poor planning have caused the river's biggest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — to drop to their lowest collective volume since they were filled.  Rebecca Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board said “Time is not on our side. Hydrology is not on our side. That's the frightening reality Every day that passes this problem gets harder and harder to solve.”The water could drop below what's needed to generate power as soon as next year, according to water experts. If nothing is done  there is a real possibility water levels in both reservoirs will drop so low in the next two years that water will no longer flow downstream to the 40 million people in the West who rely on the Colorado River.To put it in perspective, this winter both reservoirs were about a quarter full - 25%. In December 1999, Lake Powell was at 88% capacity, and Lake Mead was at 96% capacity.  In 2021, Lower basin states faced their first-ever federally declared water shortage, which directs how much water states can draw from the Colorado River. Deeper cuts were declared this year.Ted Cooke, the general manager for the Central Arizona Project.In June, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton issued an ultimatum to states: Develop a plan to save 2 million to 4 million acre-feet of water by next year — roughly one-fifth of their currently allocations—or the federal government will step in.During a panel discussion at last week's convention in Las Vegas, representatives for the seven western states who rely on the Colorado River said reaching a compromise will be their collective priority for the next six months.They agree that the longer it takes to stabilize the river and conserve the water needed to keep the river functional, the more likely reservoir levels will continue to plummet, leaving states with fewer and fewer options.Just last week, all of Southern California was declared to be in a drought emergency by the Metropolitan Water District, the main water supplier for Los Angeles county.Officials for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned that aridification, the long-term shift to a drier climate, means even less snow runoff is making it to the river each year.Currently, there is nearly $4 billion set aside for the Colorado River that would allow the Bureau of Reclamation to use some funds to pay users to voluntarily forgo water use.“We have to accept that we can not cling to our entitlements or allocations. If they are not there none of it matters,” Mitchell continued. “Folks in the room have to be willing to let us make hard decisions, because this is going to be painful.” Becky Mitchell Colorado Water Conservation BoardSOURCE NM:New Mexico's HSD proposes medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated peopleBY: AUSTIN FISHER - DECEMBER 19, 2022 4:35 AMBeginning in 2024, New Mexico's Medicaid program could start providing medication-assisted treatment to incarcerated people 30 days before they are released, along with a 30-day supply of medication when they leave. The hope is that this will be a step toward reducing the harms of criminalizing substance use disorder, and producing better outcomes.In a 275-page application to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the New Mexico Human Services Department published Friday, HSD says it hopes to ensure formerly incarcerated people stay on their medication after release, and don't commit more crimes, end up in an emergency room or unhoused.At any given time in New Mexico, more than 14,000 people are held in state, local or youth correctional facilities, and nearly 50,000 people churn through local jails in the state each year. according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by ACLU-NM and Disability Rights New Mexico, New Mexico's prison system forces people who are on medication for opioid use disorder, to withdraw from it when they enter prison.The lawsuit cites research showing that someone leaving incarceration is nearly 13 times more likely than the general population to die of an overdose in the first two weeks after their release.HSD wants to get people who are being held in jail before a trial, or who are imprisoned post-conviction, on Medicaid so they can get medication-assisted treatment while inside state prisons, local jails, youth correctional facilities, tribal holding facilities, tribal jails and at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute.The department plans to focus on incarcerated people with serious mental health conditions, severe emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, or an intellectual or developmental disability. It estimates 7,500 people per year could benefit.COLORADO SUN:The biggest election 2022 spender in Colorado? Jared Polis — by a long shot.Sandra Fish3:41 AM MST on Dec 15, 2022Democratic Gov. Jared Polis spent $12.6 million of his own money on his successful reelection bid this year, more than any other state-level candidate. May sound like a lot,Polis' 2022 spending, however, didn't come close to the more than $23 million of his own wealth spent in 2018 to win his first gubernatorial campaign. After Gov Polis, the No. 2 state-level political spender in Colorado this year was Total Wine & More at $12 million. That money went toward supporting Proposition 124, an unsuccessful ballot measure that would have let the retail giant open more liquor stores in Colorado.A few more highlights from the final campaign finance reports: Democratic candidates dominated spending on state-level statewide contestsThe Polis campaign spent more than three times the $3.7 million spent by his Republican opponent, who lost by more than 19 percentage points.Polis spent $9 per vote cast in his favor in the general election, less than the $9.72 per vote he spent in the 2018 general election and far less than the nearly $40 per vote he spent winning a four-way primary that year.The Democratic Attorneys General Association's state super PAC spent $2.9 million supporting Phil Weiser against his GOP challenger, John Kellner. In the costliest state Senate contest, Jefferson County-based Senate District 20, Republican developer Tim Walsh loaned his campaign more than $1 million in his loss to Democratic state Rep. Lisa Cutter, who spent just $262,000.Democratic super PACs also outspent their Republican counterparts on state legislative races: All Together Colorado spent more than $11 million helping elect Democratic state Senate candidates, compared with the $8.5 million spent by Senate Majority Fund, which supported Republicans.Natural Medicine Colorado spent $4.46 per vote on Proposition 122, which legalized psilocybin mushrooms and was approved by nearly 54% of voters. Nearly $4.4 million of the total $5.8 million that was spent came from the national nonprofit New Approach and its federal PAC.Healthy School Meals For All Colorado Students spent $1.32 per vote in successfully passing Proposition GG, which eliminated a tax break for wealthy Coloradans so that schools can provide free meals to all students. Numerous nonprofits accounted for the committee's $1.8 million in spending.COLORADO NEWSLINE: Mayor Hancock works to address influx of migrantsBY: LINDSEY TOOMER - DECEMBER 15, 2022 3:37 PMDenver Mayor Michael Hancock has issued an emergency declaration so the city can more easily free up resources to support the ongoing influx of migrants into the city - having already spent upwards of $800,000 in city funds on the efforts.At a news conference at the city's Emergency Operations Center Thursday, Hancock said about 700 unhoused migrants had arrived in recent weeks. And he isn't sure how many more the city can expect. The original emergency shelter the city set up at a recreation center hit capacity with 275 people, leading to two more recreation centers being pulled into the effort.Hancock said at the news conference. “This influx of migrants, the unanticipated nature of their arrival, and our current space and staffing challenges have put an immense strain on city resources, to the level where they're on the verge of reaching a breaking point. What I don't want to see is a local humanitarian crisis of unsheltered migrants on our hands because of the lack of resources.”Mayor Hancock noted that most of the people seem to be coming through El Paso, Texas, and while the city has seen groups of migrants arriving for several months, only recently have they started arriving at the current volume and without notice. City officials say the migrants come from Central and South America, including Venezuela. Employees from multiple city agencies are being pulled from their regular duties and “working around the clock” to support them as they arrive, Hancock said. The city is most desperate for support when it comes to shelter space and staffing. Hancock asked that anyone who might have space that can serve as a shelter, or who can volunteer to help, reach out to the city's Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org. He thanked the many city staff, volunteers, nonprofit and faith organizations that have already stepped up to support the city's sheltering and reunification efforts. Hancock also thanked the hundreds of Denver residents who have donated clothing and supplies and asked for their continued patience as the city works through the situation. He said he has been in direct contact with Gov. Jared Polis as well as members of Colorado's federal Congressional delegation to help identify additional resources to help.Mayor Hancock also said, “We are committed to doing what we can for the migrants and the asylum seekers who have come here. But here in Denver and cities all over this country are once again having to respond because of the failure of our Congress and federal government to address a very critical situation … I'm not trying to sound political, but I'm trying to sound pragmatic and practical. This is going to continue to happen, continue to overwhelm cities all over this country until Congress works on fixing the situation.”Denver first opened an emergency shelter at an undisclosed recreation center on Dec. 6. There's an ongoing need for donations and local faith-based groups and nonprofits are continuing to assist the city with its efforts to support the migrants. The city has established a drop-off location for physical donations at Iglesia Ciudad de Dios located at 5255 W Warren Ave. in Denver. Donations are being accepted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.The city released a list of needed items, and noted that the list could change based on supply and demand:Coats (men's S and M, women's M) Pants (waist 30-33) SocksUnderwearWinter apparel (hats, gloves, scarves, boots)Children's clothing for ages 10 and younger Overall, the city said there is a high demand for new clothing for adults sizes small through large, with a special need for medium-sized clothing and winter weather clothing.The city is also asking local faith-based groups, non-profits and private sector partners to reach out if they are able to support its efforts by contacting the Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org.CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: The Roots, with support from Big KRIT: Tuesday December 27 at Denver's Mission Ballroom. GA tickets are $60 and available at axs.com. The Roots then play San Francisco on Thursday December 29, and Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. In 2023, their only U.S. show is in Chicago, March 18. Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Colorado Sun, 9NEWS Denver, Nevada Current, Colorado Newsline, Source NM, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

Song playsIntro by hostWelcome to High Country - politics in the American West. My name is Sean Diller; regular listeners might know me from Heartland Pod's Talking Politics, every Monday.Go to heartlandpod.com for information on all our political podcasts, and a link to support our work on Patreon. Sign up as an Official PODhead for just $5 per month to access all our premium podcast segments and political writing. To join the conversation on Twitter, find us at THE Heartland POD. Alright! Let's get into it: NEVADA CURRENT: Water managers across drought-stricken West agree on one thing: ‘This is going to be painful'BY JENIFFER SOLIS - MONDAY DECEMBER 19, 2022 5:25 AMWater authorities in the Western U.S. don't have a crystal ball, but rapidly receding reservoirs uncovering sunken boats and other debris lost in their depths decades ago give a clear view of the hard choices ahead.If western states do not agree on a plan to safeguard the Colorado River — the source of the region's vitality — there won't be enough water for anyone.Water managers, researchers, agricultural producers and others from across the drought-stricken river basin met in Las Vegas last week for the Colorado River Water Users Association annual convention to face hard truths about the state of the river and historically-low levels of its biggest reservoirs.Two decades of drought and poor planning have caused the river's biggest reservoirs — Lake Mead and Lake Powell — to drop to their lowest collective volume since they were filled.  Rebecca Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board said “Time is not on our side. Hydrology is not on our side. That's the frightening reality Every day that passes this problem gets harder and harder to solve.”The water could drop below what's needed to generate power as soon as next year, according to water experts. If nothing is done  there is a real possibility water levels in both reservoirs will drop so low in the next two years that water will no longer flow downstream to the 40 million people in the West who rely on the Colorado River.To put it in perspective, this winter both reservoirs were about a quarter full - 25%. In December 1999, Lake Powell was at 88% capacity, and Lake Mead was at 96% capacity.  In 2021, Lower basin states faced their first-ever federally declared water shortage, which directs how much water states can draw from the Colorado River. Deeper cuts were declared this year.Ted Cooke, the general manager for the Central Arizona Project.In June, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton issued an ultimatum to states: Develop a plan to save 2 million to 4 million acre-feet of water by next year — roughly one-fifth of their currently allocations—or the federal government will step in.During a panel discussion at last week's convention in Las Vegas, representatives for the seven western states who rely on the Colorado River said reaching a compromise will be their collective priority for the next six months.They agree that the longer it takes to stabilize the river and conserve the water needed to keep the river functional, the more likely reservoir levels will continue to plummet, leaving states with fewer and fewer options.Just last week, all of Southern California was declared to be in a drought emergency by the Metropolitan Water District, the main water supplier for Los Angeles county.Officials for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation warned that aridification, the long-term shift to a drier climate, means even less snow runoff is making it to the river each year.Currently, there is nearly $4 billion set aside for the Colorado River that would allow the Bureau of Reclamation to use some funds to pay users to voluntarily forgo water use.“We have to accept that we can not cling to our entitlements or allocations. If they are not there none of it matters,” Mitchell continued. “Folks in the room have to be willing to let us make hard decisions, because this is going to be painful.” Becky Mitchell Colorado Water Conservation BoardSOURCE NM:New Mexico's HSD proposes medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated peopleBY: AUSTIN FISHER - DECEMBER 19, 2022 4:35 AMBeginning in 2024, New Mexico's Medicaid program could start providing medication-assisted treatment to incarcerated people 30 days before they are released, along with a 30-day supply of medication when they leave. The hope is that this will be a step toward reducing the harms of criminalizing substance use disorder, and producing better outcomes.In a 275-page application to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services by the New Mexico Human Services Department published Friday, HSD says it hopes to ensure formerly incarcerated people stay on their medication after release, and don't commit more crimes, end up in an emergency room or unhoused.At any given time in New Mexico, more than 14,000 people are held in state, local or youth correctional facilities, and nearly 50,000 people churn through local jails in the state each year. according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by ACLU-NM and Disability Rights New Mexico, New Mexico's prison system forces people who are on medication for opioid use disorder, to withdraw from it when they enter prison.The lawsuit cites research showing that someone leaving incarceration is nearly 13 times more likely than the general population to die of an overdose in the first two weeks after their release.HSD wants to get people who are being held in jail before a trial, or who are imprisoned post-conviction, on Medicaid so they can get medication-assisted treatment while inside state prisons, local jails, youth correctional facilities, tribal holding facilities, tribal jails and at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute.The department plans to focus on incarcerated people with serious mental health conditions, severe emotional disturbance, substance use disorder, or an intellectual or developmental disability. It estimates 7,500 people per year could benefit.COLORADO SUN:The biggest election 2022 spender in Colorado? Jared Polis — by a long shot.Sandra Fish3:41 AM MST on Dec 15, 2022Democratic Gov. Jared Polis spent $12.6 million of his own money on his successful reelection bid this year, more than any other state-level candidate. May sound like a lot,Polis' 2022 spending, however, didn't come close to the more than $23 million of his own wealth spent in 2018 to win his first gubernatorial campaign. After Gov Polis, the No. 2 state-level political spender in Colorado this year was Total Wine & More at $12 million. That money went toward supporting Proposition 124, an unsuccessful ballot measure that would have let the retail giant open more liquor stores in Colorado.A few more highlights from the final campaign finance reports: Democratic candidates dominated spending on state-level statewide contestsThe Polis campaign spent more than three times the $3.7 million spent by his Republican opponent, who lost by more than 19 percentage points.Polis spent $9 per vote cast in his favor in the general election, less than the $9.72 per vote he spent in the 2018 general election and far less than the nearly $40 per vote he spent winning a four-way primary that year.The Democratic Attorneys General Association's state super PAC spent $2.9 million supporting Phil Weiser against his GOP challenger, John Kellner. In the costliest state Senate contest, Jefferson County-based Senate District 20, Republican developer Tim Walsh loaned his campaign more than $1 million in his loss to Democratic state Rep. Lisa Cutter, who spent just $262,000.Democratic super PACs also outspent their Republican counterparts on state legislative races: All Together Colorado spent more than $11 million helping elect Democratic state Senate candidates, compared with the $8.5 million spent by Senate Majority Fund, which supported Republicans.Natural Medicine Colorado spent $4.46 per vote on Proposition 122, which legalized psilocybin mushrooms and was approved by nearly 54% of voters. Nearly $4.4 million of the total $5.8 million that was spent came from the national nonprofit New Approach and its federal PAC.Healthy School Meals For All Colorado Students spent $1.32 per vote in successfully passing Proposition GG, which eliminated a tax break for wealthy Coloradans so that schools can provide free meals to all students. Numerous nonprofits accounted for the committee's $1.8 million in spending.COLORADO NEWSLINE: Mayor Hancock works to address influx of migrantsBY: LINDSEY TOOMER - DECEMBER 15, 2022 3:37 PMDenver Mayor Michael Hancock has issued an emergency declaration so the city can more easily free up resources to support the ongoing influx of migrants into the city - having already spent upwards of $800,000 in city funds on the efforts.At a news conference at the city's Emergency Operations Center Thursday, Hancock said about 700 unhoused migrants had arrived in recent weeks. And he isn't sure how many more the city can expect. The original emergency shelter the city set up at a recreation center hit capacity with 275 people, leading to two more recreation centers being pulled into the effort.Hancock said at the news conference. “This influx of migrants, the unanticipated nature of their arrival, and our current space and staffing challenges have put an immense strain on city resources, to the level where they're on the verge of reaching a breaking point. What I don't want to see is a local humanitarian crisis of unsheltered migrants on our hands because of the lack of resources.”Mayor Hancock noted that most of the people seem to be coming through El Paso, Texas, and while the city has seen groups of migrants arriving for several months, only recently have they started arriving at the current volume and without notice. City officials say the migrants come from Central and South America, including Venezuela. Employees from multiple city agencies are being pulled from their regular duties and “working around the clock” to support them as they arrive, Hancock said. The city is most desperate for support when it comes to shelter space and staffing. Hancock asked that anyone who might have space that can serve as a shelter, or who can volunteer to help, reach out to the city's Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org. He thanked the many city staff, volunteers, nonprofit and faith organizations that have already stepped up to support the city's sheltering and reunification efforts. Hancock also thanked the hundreds of Denver residents who have donated clothing and supplies and asked for their continued patience as the city works through the situation. He said he has been in direct contact with Gov. Jared Polis as well as members of Colorado's federal Congressional delegation to help identify additional resources to help.Mayor Hancock also said, “We are committed to doing what we can for the migrants and the asylum seekers who have come here. But here in Denver and cities all over this country are once again having to respond because of the failure of our Congress and federal government to address a very critical situation … I'm not trying to sound political, but I'm trying to sound pragmatic and practical. This is going to continue to happen, continue to overwhelm cities all over this country until Congress works on fixing the situation.”Denver first opened an emergency shelter at an undisclosed recreation center on Dec. 6. There's an ongoing need for donations and local faith-based groups and nonprofits are continuing to assist the city with its efforts to support the migrants. The city has established a drop-off location for physical donations at Iglesia Ciudad de Dios located at 5255 W Warren Ave. in Denver. Donations are being accepted on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.The city released a list of needed items, and noted that the list could change based on supply and demand:Coats (men's S and M, women's M) Pants (waist 30-33) SocksUnderwearWinter apparel (hats, gloves, scarves, boots)Children's clothing for ages 10 and younger Overall, the city said there is a high demand for new clothing for adults sizes small through large, with a special need for medium-sized clothing and winter weather clothing.The city is also asking local faith-based groups, non-profits and private sector partners to reach out if they are able to support its efforts by contacting the Emergency Operations Center at donations@denvergov.org.CONCERT PICK OF THE WEEK: The Roots, with support from Big KRIT: Tuesday December 27 at Denver's Mission Ballroom. GA tickets are $60 and available at axs.com. The Roots then play San Francisco on Thursday December 29, and Los Angeles on New Year's Eve. In 2023, their only U.S. show is in Chicago, March 18. Welp, that's it for me! From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Original reporting for the stories in today's show comes from the Colorado Sun, 9NEWS Denver, Nevada Current, Colorado Newsline, Source NM, and Denver's Westword.Thank you for listening! See you next time.

The Colorado River is one of the most important rivers in the United States. It has been in the news a lot lately because of the drought and how it's affecting people and businesses that count on it for drinking water. This episode features an important panel discussion on the collaborative approach to Colorado River management being taken by California water, tribal and community leaders. Guests on this episode are Michael Cohen, Senior Associate, Pacific Institute; Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Chris Harris, Executive Director, Colorado River Board of California;  Sandy Kerl, General Manager, San Diego County Water Authority; Henry Martinez, General Manager, Imperial Irrigation District; David Palumbo, Deputy Commissioner – Operations, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; and Thomas Tortez, Jr., Tribal Chairman, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. On this special episode of What Matters Water TV + Podcast, our expert panel will talk about what is causing the crisis, how it's affecting our state and others, and most importantly, what can be done to prevent it from getting worse. So please join us as we explore this important issue. View the slides that Chris Harris uses to introduce the issues at this link: https://socalwater.org/wp-content/uploads/Chris-Harris-SCWC-Intro-Slides_DRAFT_10062022.pdf Follow us on Twitter: SCWC: https://twitter.com/SoCalWaterComm Charley Wilson: https://twitter.com/SCWaterman32

As flows on the Colorado River continues to dwindle, Southern California is facing dire questions about the sustainability of its water supply. Water managers across jurisdictions are having to work together to find innovative solutions to reduce reliance on the river and also find new sources, such as water recycling and desalination. Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with Adel Hagekhalil, general manager and CEO of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California about his efforts to work across boundaries to reduce consumption and augment water supply in the state.For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.

Suresh Radhakrishnan is an HR strategic partner with Metropolitan Water District in Los Angeles. He has been with MWD for nearly 25 years in various capacities in its Organizational and Training departments along with being a senior adjunct faculty member with the University of Laverne in the College of Business. Learn more about how leaders leverage IMS: https://ims-online.com/ Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Suresh's career journey 02:57 Key challenges in L&D industry 05:55 Strategies to build a leadership pipeline 12:51 How Metropolitan Water has worked with IMS 16:45 Impact of IMS sessions 19:20 Conclusion

A controversial bill to overhaul California's mental healthcare system cleared a major hurdle Tuesday night. The governor's CARE Court proposal would allow judges to oversee treatment for people diagnosed with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders who are not receiving care.  Reporter: Erin Baldassari, KQED Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by crime and gun violence -- but historically say they've been left out of many conversations and programs meant to help victims of crime in California. But that's starting to change. Reporter: Marisa Lagos, KQED  Millions of residents in Los Angeles County will need to suspend outdoor watering in September. That's the message from the Metropolitan Water District, which is set to repair a leak in a critical pipeline. Reporter: Robin Estrin, KCRW Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill designed to protect more homes from wildfire by bolstering the State's defensible space inspections.  Reporter: Danielle Venton, KQED A bill that would restrict solitary confinement for all incarcerated people in California, including at federal immigration detention centers, is headed to the Governor's desk after clearing the state Senate Tuesday.  Reporter: Farida Jhabvala Romero, KQED A bill establishing tough new privacy rules for children under 18 is headed to the governor's desk, after it passed the state Assembly unanimously on Tuesday. Reporter: Rachael Myrow , KQED

Tampa Bay Desalination Plant 1. The Tampa Florida seawater desalination facility produces 25 million gallons of water per day. 2. The plant has 15 miles of pipes to transport the water providing water for 1.8 million people 3. The reverse osmosis (RO) system has seven independent trains, each comprising a transfer pump, cartridge filters, reverse osmosis membranes, associated high-pressure pump and an energy recovery turbine (ERT). 4. An 800hp vertical turbine transfer pump in each train draws raw water from the pre-treatment wet well to the 5µm cartridge filter assembly. The water then enters the RO process itself. 5. Each battery of reverse osmosis membranes is fed with pressurized water by a 2,250hp, horizontal split case high-pressure pump, equipped with variable frequency drives which allow the feed pressure to be varied between 625psi and 1,050psi. These were fitted to the pumps to accommodate the variation in salinity of the water, which naturally ranges between 18 and 32 parts per thousand (ppt) in Tampa Bay, compared with the narrower 28-35ppt of typical seawater. 6. Each of the plant's seven RO batteries has a minimum rated production of 16,000m³/day and consists of 168 pressure vessels, containing eight SWRO membranes apiece. Carlsbad Desalination Project Fact: 1. I.W technologies is converting sea water to fresh water in Carlsbad. The $1 million demonstration project will produce 35,000 gallons of water a day. The larger plant is existed to provide San Diego with 50 million gallons of water a day. 2. The plant will cost $230 million and produce enough fresh water to meet the annual needs of 400,000 people. The San Diego county water authority will spent $42 million for pipeline and pumping stations. 3. Every year, 10 percent of the total 600,000 square feet of reverse osmosis membranes will be changed out. 4. The cost will be $909 per acre foot of water. Potential exists for a $250 per acre-foot subsidy from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California 5. 100 million gallons of seawater would be pumped into the plant every day (Reference Link) Los Angels Desalination projects Fact: 1. The Los Angels Department of Water and Power is the largest municipal utility in the US serving four million residents. 2. A new direct connection to the California aqueduct is being explored increasing use of recycled water. 3. A second possibility is the creation of a desalination plant using salt water from the Pacific Ocean at Playa del Rey. In 2010, active desalination plants were one located at Diablo Canyon owned by Pacific Gas & Electric Co using reverse osmosis. Other active sites include Gaviota, Moss Landing, Nicholas Island, and Monterey Bay. (Reference Link) 4. The LADWP provided more than 200 billion US gallons (760 billion liters) of water in 2003, pumping it through 7,226 miles (11,629 km) of pipe. 48% of the water came from the Sierra Nevada mountains via the Los Angles Aqueduct, 41% came from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, 11% was from local groundwater, and % came from recycled water (Reference Link) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/david-nishimoto/message

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was founded in 1928 under an act of the California Legislature to build and operate the Colorado River Aqueduct. Today Metropolitan  delivers water from the Colorado River and Northern California to its 26 member water agencies that serve 19 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Metropolitan has also taken significant steps over the past three decades to reduce the region's reliance on imported water – investing more than $1.5 billion in conservation and local resources. But climate change and the state's ongoing record drought are reminders that more needs to be done. The individuals heading up three of Metropolitan's big initiatives to further the One Water concept while improving the agency's culture are here with us today to discuss what they see on the horizon. Guests on this episode are: Water Resources Manager Brad Coffey, who is the lead on Metropolitan's Pure Water Initiative; Liz Crosson, who is MWD's Chief Sustainability, Resiliency and Innovation Officer, and Liji Thomas, who is MWD Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer.

In the second part of our mini-series focused on California's water crisis, we spoke with Deven Upadhyay, the Chief Operating Officer and Assistant General Manager at the Metropolitan Water District. Host Marci Stanage talks with Mr. Upadhyay about water reuse, the many benefits of recycled water, and conservation efforts. To learn more about MWD's Pure Water Southern California click here. Note: This episode was recorded on June 15th, 2022. For any questions or inquiries please reach out to podcasts@rebuildsocal.org

In this episode of What Matters Water TV + Podcast, we talk to experts about how Sites Reservoir in the Sacramento Valley is the future of water storage in California and why it is so crucial for our entire state, especially as we face a severe water crisis with the historic drought. There have been many discussions about Sites Reservoir and its potential to help us store more water for when it's needed most. We break down the project, how it works as part of California's water network and why it's such a vital project. Two of the show guests are from Northern California. Jerry Brown is the executive director of the Sites Project Authority, the organization tasked with building Sites Reservoir. From the beautiful Sacramento Valley, we have Frederick “Fritz” Durst who is the Board Chair of Sites Project Authority and the Reclamation District 108 board president. Representing Southern California, we have Heather Dyer who is the general manager of the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District and a returning guest to our show. And we're also delighted to have Adel Hagekhalil back with our show. He is the general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the nation's largest water wholesaler that serves 19 million people. These four bring passion, enthusiasm and ingenuity to tackle the genuine and pressing issue of climate change impacts on California's water supply.

Sweeping restrictions on outdoor water use go into effect on Wednesday for more than 6 million residents in Southern California as officials work to conserve water during a severe drought. The conservation rules, among the strictest ever imposed in the state, were set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, one of the largest water distributors in the country. Households are now forbidden from watering their lawns more than once a week in many jurisdictions. The goal is to slash water use by 35 percent as the state enters its third straight year of drought. The rules come after California officials in March announced they were cutting State Water Project allocations from 15 percent to 5 percent of normal amid declining reservoir levels and reduced snowpack. California's two largest reservoirs have already dropped to critically low levels, and the state this year experienced its driest January, February and March on record. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sweeping restrictions on outdoor water use go into effect on Wednesday for more than 6 million residents in Southern California as officials work to conserve water during a severe drought. The conservation rules, among the strictest ever imposed in the state, were set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, one of the largest water distributors in the country. Households are now forbidden from watering their lawns more than once a week in many jurisdictions. The goal is to slash water use by 35 percent as the state enters its third straight year of drought. The rules come after California officials in March announced they were cutting State Water Project allocations from 15 percent to 5 percent of normal amid declining reservoir levels and reduced snowpack. California's two largest reservoirs have already dropped to critically low levels, and the state this year experienced its driest January, February and March on record. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we feature Jose Bodipo-Memba and Christopher Mundhenk. Jose is the Interim Chief Diversity Officer at SMUD, and responsible for company-wide programs and services such as human resources, workforce development, diversity and inclusion, and sustainable communities. His focus is to advocate for diversity, inspire an inclusive culture based on trust and respect, and to create belonging and connection among SMUD's employees, customers, and communities, ultimately resulting in equitable outcomes for all. Chris is the Environmental Practice Group Leader and a Principal at Ascent Environmental.  Over the past 22 years, Chris has been managing and preparing environmental analysis documents for a wide variety of projects pursuant to CEQA. His career has been spent in the environmental consulting industry, in addition to serving as in-house staff for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California between 2002 and 2005. Chris serves the curriculum committees for AEP's CEQA Essentials and Advanced CEQA workshops, assisting environmental professionals throughout California to learn and refresh on best practices and emerging trends in the world of environmental planning and analysis. Sustainable Communities Resource Priorities Map - https://usage.smud.org/SustainableCommunities AEP is collecting feedback via survey on its DEI Initiative. We you to share your experiences with diversity, equity and inclusion at AEP to help us better understand our current statewide membership and how we can strengthen DEI within our organization and throughout the environmental profession. June 6 is the final day to complete the survey, we appreciate your valuable feedback to help us move forward. To show our appreciation, the AEP chapter with the highest rate of submissions will receive funds to be used towards a membership appreciation event!   Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AEP-DEI Thanks for your support, and hope you enjoy this episode!

Today's show is all about the water crisis in SoCal and the best way to respond to it. Find out what the new rules are. Resource Specialist with the Metropolitan Water District, Krista Guerrero, joins Dean to discuss the new rules.

In Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to millions of people in several counties, has declared a first of its kind water shortage emergency. Meanwhile, in the Bay Area, the East Bay Municipal Water District has approved a mandatory 10% reduction in water usage compared to 2020 levels.  What little is known about long-COVID in children and teenagers suggests that it can be just as disabling for them as it is for older adults. One family in Los Angeles connected the dots before the doctors. Reporter: Jackie Fortier, KPCC

KFI's Steve Gregory as the latest on Sheriff Villanueva investigating the reporter who revealed a department cover-up. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California declares a water shortage emergency. A clinic psychologist that was hired by Johnny Depp, testified and said that actress Amber Heard has borderline personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder. Hots Sports Takes.

As CivitasLA marks “Earth Day” 2022, we note the extraordinary importance of water to the very formation and growth of our region and the impact its scarcity will have on future growth. Join us in conversation with Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager of The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) as he discusses their history, central role in shaping the communities of Southern California and how our communities will be impacted as the state navigates an historic drought and climate change. Created by state law in 1928, MWD has imported water from the Colorado River since 1941 and from Northern California since the early 1970s and is responsible for providing water directly or indirectly to 19 million residents. MWD has been a major supporter of Southern California water conservation and water recycling programs, along with other local water management activities. To learn more, please visit: www.mwdh2o.com. And to learn more about CivitasLA, we invite you to visit www.CivitasLA.com. And we hope you'll rate and review our show; and connect with us on Facebook (@CivitasLA), Instagram (@Civitas_LA) and Twitter (@Civitas_LA).

Here's your morning news: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California implementing emergency water conservation program for first time; Villanueva backtracks on reporter investigation, citing "frenzy of disinformation"; Reseda man accused of selling meth and  "ghost guns" indicted by a federal grand jury; Streets around UCLA were blocked off Tuesday as protestors took to the streets; Pfizer asking FDA to approve COVID booster shots for kids ages five to 11; LAUSD to extend upcoming school year by a week; The L.A. City Council to consider a number of measures aimed at cutting waste. This program is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.   Support the show: https://laist.com

You might need to get used to brown patches on your lawn, lots of them. Unprecedented water restrictions are coming for about six million people across southern California because of drought conditions. They'll be limited to outdoor watering once a week as the Metropolitan Water District has a goal for all of us to cut water usage by 30 percent. We go In Depth into whether this is necessary and if people will listen.  Russia has been saying it could stop the gas flow to Europe. Now, it's making good on that threat, shutting it off to Bulgaria and Poland. But are more European countries next?  And the U.S. and Russia exchange prisoners but that doesn't mean we're closer to a peace deal in Ukraine.  Ukraine is two months into its war with Russia. We talk again to a member of Ukraine's parliament who says Russia can be defeated but more help is needed.  Doctor Anthony Fauci is sounding somewhat optimistic, basically saying the worst of the pandemic might be behind us. We look into whether we should all still be concerned about COVID.   The pandemic has made things even tougher for young adults. More of their parents are now giving them even more money. Will it help them in the long run? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You might need to get used to brown patches on your lawn, lots of them. Unprecedented water restrictions are coming for about six million people across southern California because of drought conditions. They'll be limited to outdoor watering once a week as the Metropolitan Water District has a goal for all of us to cut water usage by 30 percent. We go In Depth into whether this is necessary and if people will listen. Russia has been saying it could stop the gas flow to Europe. Now, it's making good on that threat, shutting it off to Bulgaria and Poland. But are more European countries next? And the U.S. and Russia exchange prisoners but that doesn't mean we're closer to a peace deal in Ukraine. Ukraine is two months into its war with Russia. We talk again to a member of Ukraine's parliament who says Russia can be defeated but more help is needed. Doctor Anthony Fauci is sounding somewhat optimistic, basically saying the worst of the pandemic might be behind us. We look into whether we should all still be concerned about COVID.  The pandemic has made things even tougher for young adults. More of their parents are now giving them even more money. Will it help them in the long run? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New Podcast Episode Explores Drought, Metropolitan Water District's (MWD) One Water Plan, and The Future of Water in Southern California In this episode, host Jon Switalski sits down with the General Manager and CEO of Metropolitan Water District (MWD), Adel Hagekhalil. We discuss the "forever" drought in Southern California, the Regional Recycled Water Project in Carson, water conservation, and lots more on water infrastructure! Note: This episode was recorded on March 2, 2022. Please make sure you subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Also, send in any questions or inquiries to podcasts@rebuildsocal.org

Two recent scientific reports paint different pictures of America's water situation regarding climate change. An article published in Nature Climate Change found that the current megadrought in the western U.S. is the driest in the last 1,200 years. And the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that it expects sea levels to rise by one foot by 2050, affecting the Gulf Coast Region most severely.While drought and sea level rise stand in contrast to one another, human caused climate change is the primary driver of both conditions. What do they have in common and how can we work together to find real solutions?Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter speaks with accomplished water experts Brenda Burman and Justin Ehrenwerth about the commonalities between drought and sea level rise and the surprising ways in which cooperation offers a path to a resilient future.For more information about the Ten Across initiative visit www.10across.com.Resources:Nature Climate Change article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01290-z NOAA report: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/sealevelrise/sealevelrise-tech-report.htmlGuest bios:Brenda Burman is Executive Strategy Advisor at the Central Arizona Project. With more than 25 years of experience working in Western water, she was the Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation from 2017 to 2021, the first woman to hold that position. She also held leadership roles at the Salt River Project, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and The Nature Conservancy.Justin Ehrenwerth is President and CEO of The Water Institute of the Gulf. He previously was Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council and served as Chief of Staff to the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce. Before that, he was Assistant Counsel to the President leading Deepwater Horizon litigation for the White House.

This special episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live on November 17, 2021 at a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly as part of our Energy Forum. Panel 2: The Future of the Grid. PG&E has emerged from bankruptcy, but California's electrical infrastructure is aging, and the state's demand for electricity continues to climb. How will the state's energy providers meet the growing demand, and what will the grid look like decades from now? Asm. Chris Holden; Stacey Crowley, ISO; Carla Peterman, PG&E; Amisha Rai, Advanced Energy Economy Moderated by Sophia Bollag of the Sacramento Bee An Energy Forum was presented as part of Capitol Weekly's California Conference series. This event received support from The Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, The Western States Petroleum Association, KP Public Affairs, Perry Communications, Capitol Advocacy, The California Building Industry Association, Lucas Public Affairs, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Pandora and California Professional Firefighters

This special episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast was recorded live on November 17, 2021 at a panel discussion hosted by Capitol Weekly as part of our Energy Forum. Panel 1, Renewable Energy: Can solar, wind and hydroelectrics meet the demand for electricity as the state transitions away from fossil fuels? And, what does the current battle between rooftop solar proponents and large-scale solar farm operators portend? Panelists: Dan Jacobson, Environment California; Rajinder Sahota, California Air Resources Board; V. John White, CEERT; Julia Zuckerman, Clearway Energy Moderated by Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times An Energy Forum was presented as part of Capitol Weekly's California Conference series. This event received support from The Tribal Alliance of Sovereign Indian Nations, The Western States Petroleum Association, KP Public Affairs, Perry Communications, Capitol Advocacy, The California Building Industry Association, Lucas Public Affairs, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Pandora and California Professional Firefighters

Adel Hagekhalil is the general manager of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the largest water wholesaler in the United States serving more than 19 million Californians. Tune in to hear how he is thinking differently about water, the lessons he learned when things went wrong, and for fun, how his cooking style and leadership style match up.  A national water and infrastructure leader, Hagekhalil joined MWD as its 14th general manager in July 2021. It is an important time as the water agency confronts challenges to water supply reliability brought by climate change impacts and drought conditions. 

Look at the U.S. Drought Monitor map, and you will see that the Western United States is in extreme drought conditions. During the California drought of 2012-2016, the state's Climate Change Assessment report indicated that 2014 was the driest year in 1,200 years. Five years later, we are experiencing an even deeper drought that is impacting everything from food production to hydroelectric power. In 2016, we spoke with Jeff Kightlinger, the GM and CEO of the largest water utility in the country, Metropolitan Water District (MWD), and today he will join us to give us an update on the current state of our water supply and the solutions being considered- both in CA and throughout the West.

Look at the U.S. Drought Monitor map, and you will see that the Western United States is in extreme drought conditions. During the California drought of 2012-2016, the state's Climate Change Assessment report indicated that 2014 was the driest year in 1,200 years. Five years later, we are experiencing an even deeper drought that is impacting everything from food production to hydroelectric power. In 2016, we spoke with Jeff Kightlinger, the GM and CEO of the largest water utility in the country, Metropolitan Water District (MWD), and today he will join us to give us an update on the current state of our water supply and the solutions being considered- both in CA and throughout the West.

Jeffrey Kightlinger provides an excellent interview offering profound thoughts on the water industry that was recorded during the waning days of his 15-year tenure as the General Manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Plus, Reese Tisdale of Bluefield Research comes on for Bluefield on Tap to discuss how population shifts might impact the water sector. In this session, you'll learn about: Why Jeff decided to retire from Metropolitan at this juncture Jeff's perspective on what makes a good water leader Where the gaps in water leadership are and whether they're being filled The advice Jeff received when he began his tenure at Metropolitan Whether Jeff heeded that advice How has the GM position changed during his tenure Jeff's biggest surprises in dealing with water issues Jeff's proudest accomplishments during his years at Metropolitan What Jeff wishes had worked out differently Jeff's public words of advice for his successor, Adel Hagekhalil Resources and links mentioned in or relevant to this session include: Jeff's LinkedIn Page Jeff's Twitter handle: @8thGenCA Other exit interviews: Verde Exchange (Part 1 and Part 2) and org TWV #133: Resiliency and Regionalism in Southern California with Metropolitan's Jeffrey Kightlinger TWV #142: Los Angeles' Approach to Infrastructure with Adel Hagekhalil Thank You! Thanks to each of you for listening and spreading the word about The Water Values Podcast! Keep the emails coming and please rate and review The Water Values Podcast on iTunes and Stitcher if you haven't done so already. And don't forget to tell your friends about the podcast and whatever you do, don't forget to join The Water Values mailing list!

An all-star panel of water experts discusses what happened with water in 2019 and provides a glimpse into what they expect 2020 will look like. Jeff Kightlinger, GM of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California; Sielen Namdar, a Smart Water executive with Cisco's Cities and Communities team, and Reese Tisdale, President of Bluefield Research, collaborate to provide you with their insights into the water industry. In this session, you'll learn about: -The key takeaways from the water sector in 2019 -The role data & IOT plays in utilities -How infrastructure continues to be a challenge for utilities -How utilities are leveraging partnerships for better outcomes -Convergence in the water sector and the broader utilities sector -What issues the panelists are watching out for in 2020