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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses water infrastructure funding and the Texas economy with Jeremy Mazur, Director of Natural Resources and Infrastructure Policy for Texas 2036, and Gabriel Collins, Baker Botts Fellow in Energy and Environmental Regulatory Affairs at Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy (Baker Institute).
Jeremy Mazur has over 25 years of working in and with the Legislature and state leaders on water and energy policy issues. Before joining Texas 2036 in 2021, he served as Director of Government Relations for the Railroad Commission of Texas and worked on water policy in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate.
Gabriel Collins is a member of the Center for Energy Studies team member at the Baker Institute and a lead member of the Water-Energy Nexus Thrust at Rice University’s WaTER Institute. He is also an editor at the Texas Water Journal. Gabriel has a J.D. from the University School of Law.
Prospective Costs and Consequences of Insufficient Water Infrastructure Investment in Texas ReportAssessing Texas' Water Infrastructure Needs Report
Episode Links:Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution, and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Brigid Shea, Travis County Commissioner, about water conservation efforts in Travis County.
Brigid is a former award-winning reporter at National Public Radio who has been fighting climate change in Texas since 1988. Along the way, she worked to save Austin’s iconic Barton Springs, organizing a massive city-wide ballot initiative that resulted in the historic Save Our Springs (SOS) law to save Barton Springs. As a former Austin City Council member, she helped create the first wind project in Texas and championed consumer, electoral, and environmental reforms.
Since being elected to the Travis County Commissioners Court in 2014, she has won a national award for critical water conservation efforts through the use of reclaimed treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes like air conditioning and plumbing in several county buildings.
Brigid previously served on the National Board of Clean Water Action and the State Board of the Texas Campaign for the Environment.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, talks with Dr. Jill Williamson, NASA International Space Station (ISS) Water Subsystems Manager and Water Management Co-Task Lead for the Mars Campaign Office Systems Capabilities Leadership Team, about innovative recycling technologies that purify and reuse all water sources, including sweat and urine, to ensure a sustainable, clean water supply for the ISS and astronauts.
Jill has 10 years of unique expertise in water recycling and management for microgravity applications, as found on the ISS. Jill has a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Central Missouri and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from The University of Memphis, where she specialized in developing water quality analyzers for an ISS Water Recovery System (WRS) architecture. She now manages the ISS WRS to ensure pristine quality water is available to astronauts for food rehydration and drinks and ISS payloads and oxygen generation. This water recovery system uses a novel and classic water recycling technology that can operate efficiently within a microgravity environment.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN), about the state of water infrastructure in Texas.
As Executive Director, Fowler leads the organization’s efforts to build a strong, sustainable, and competitive Texas water infrastructure construction market through policy development, education, and advocacy. He is also the Principal of Fowler Group Texas, LLC, providing lobbying, government affairs, business consulting, association, and coalition management services. A fifth-generation Texas native, Fowler grew up in the Texas construction industry and has worked as an advocate for the construction industry at the international, national, state, and local levels.
Click here to view the 2024 Texas Water Capital Needs Survey.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses water reuse with Noelle George, Managing Director of WateReuse Texas.
WateReuse Texas represents over 70 organizations working to ensure all future Texans have access to clean, safe water. Before her role at WateReuse Texas, Noelle was Executive Director of an international nonprofit advocating for global change in the areas of women’s rights and disaster recovery through grant-making and volunteer organizing. She started her career as a pipeline engineer and capital project manager at Chevron, winning the Memorial Award from the International School of Hydrocarbon Measurement for her 2006 paper “Hydrocarbon Dew Point Effects on Gas Flow Measurement.”
Noelle has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington with an Environmental Focus and considers herself a Pacific Northwest transplant to Houston.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Dr. Maria-Elena Giner, P.E., United States Commissioner of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), about managing the water treaties between the U.S. and Mexico.
Appointed by President Joe Biden in August 2021, Dr. Giner is the second woman and first Latina to serve as the U.S. IBWC Commissioner. She previously served as General Manager of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC), an institution that developed environmental infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border in association with the North American Development Bank. During her tenure at the BECC, she focused on policies that addressed U.S.-Mexico cooperation on water, energy, and climate change. With the support of the BECC staff, she led the development and financing of $9 billion in environmental infrastructure, benefitting about 100 communities and over 10 million residents.
In addition, she has published extensively on water policy and transboundary bilateral cooperation. Dr. Giner’s education includes a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University, a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin. She is also a registered professional engineer, a first-generation college graduate, and the daughter of an immigrant. Dr. Giner is from the border region and attended Loretto Academy High School in El Paso, Texas.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Aaron Wolf about managing and resolving water conflicts. Wolf is a Geography Professor at Oregon State University, a Professor of Water Diplomacy at the IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education, and a trained mediator/facilitator.
Wolf directs the Program in Water Conflict Management and Transformation at Oregon State University, through which he has offered workshops, facilitations, and mediations around the world. He is also a Professor of Water Diplomacy at the IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. Wolf authored The Spirit of Dialogue: Lessons from Faith Traditions in Transforming Conflict (Island Press, 2017), which he uses to bring facilitation and capacity-building to a variety of conflict settings, notably between entities who share water resources, and also in faith and interfaith communities, and within and between government agencies.
Wolf was awarded the 2016 American Association of Geographers Gilbert R. White Distinguished Public Service Honor “in recognition of his work on seeking peaceful approaches to international competition over water resources” and the 2015 Heinz Award for Public Policy for “applying 21st-century insights and ingenuity, as well as ancient wisdom, to complex problems for the security of the planet.”
Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, Wolf and our Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, are both partners at Four Worlds Consulting, which delivers science-based, innovative approaches to heal disputes that arise, ranging from water and other natural resource conflicts to faith-based tensions. They work in a variety of settings, from urban and rural to domestic and international to public and private sectors.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Sam Marie Hermitte, Assistant Deputy Executive Administrator of Water Science and Conservation for the Texas Water Development Board, about utilizing data to support water management and conservation.
Her responsibilities at the Texas Water Development Board include strategic planning, legislative analysis and implementation, water data, drought policy and project coordination, priority flood research projects, and special initiatives such as the development of the Texas Water Data Hub and TexasFlood.org. Additionally, Sam leads the Texas Water Data Initiative and serves as a member of the Internet of Water Coalition and the Texas Disaster Information System Advisory Committee. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy analysis from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in public affairs with a portfolio in integrated watershed studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, the Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Chad Berginnis, Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM), about the role of floodplain management in mitigating flood loss.
As Executive Director of ASFPM, Berginnis frequently collaborates with FEMA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal agencies to advocate for effective policies and programs related to mitigating flood risk, strengthening community resilience, protecting our water resources, and advancing equity and social justice. He has also testified before U.S. House and Senate Committees and Subcommittees on a number of topics, including FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program, the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, and disaster response and recovery issues.
In December 2022, Berginnis began a three-year appointment to FEMA's National Advisory Council, where he provides valuable perspective on how the nation can best mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover in the face of growing climate threats. The council advises the FEMA administrator on all aspects of emergency management, including preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation for disasters and national emergencies.
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In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, the Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, talks with Brian Richter, president of Sustainable Waters, about the challenges posed by water scarcity.
Brian Richter has been a global leader in water science and conservation for more than 30 years. As president of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges, he promotes sustainable water use and management with governments, corporations, universities, and local communities. He previously served as Director of the Global Water Program for The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. Brian has consulted on more than 170 water projects worldwide. He serves as a water advisor to some of the world’s largest corporations, investment banks, and the United Nations and has testified before the U.S. Congress on multiple occasions. He teaches Water Sustainability at the University of Virginia.
Brian has developed scientific tools and methods to support river protection and restoration efforts, including the Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration software used worldwide by water managers and scientists. Brian was featured in a BBC documentary with David Attenborough on “How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth?” He has published many scientific papers on the importance of ecologically sustainable water management in international journals. He co-authored a book with Sandra Postel entitled Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature. His latest book, Chasing Water: A Guide for Moving from Scarcity to Sustainability, has been published in five languages.
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In this conversation during American Wetlands Month, Dr. Todd Votteler, the Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water, discusses wetland conservation and protection with Dr. Megan Lang, the Chief Scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program.
Dr. Lang leads the congressionally mandated national Wetlands Status and Trends study for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory Program, which provides estimates of U.S. wetland extent, type, and change specific to different time periods from the 1700s to 2019. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland and serves as an Associate Editor for the journal Wetlands. For over two decades, Dr. Lang has been working to improve the assessment of aquatic ecosystems through field and remote sensing studies.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler discusses dam removal movement with Katie Schmidt, Associate Director of the National Dam Removal Program at American Rivers.
Katie coordinates and implements the American Rivers' federal policy agenda for dam removal and works with our federal agency partners. She also supports the National Dam Removal Community of Practice and develops tools and resources for dam removal practitioners. She has focused much of her work on hydropower reform and hydropower dam removal. As a former Fellow with American Rivers, Katie researched and wrote a guide to removing federally regulated hydropower dams.
She completed her Master's in Environmental Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University with an emphasis in hydrology and natural resources policy, aiming to remove dams to restore the rivers. Before joining American Rivers, she worked with organizations such as American Whitewater, the River Management Society, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. When not working, Katie can be found adventuring on the trails or the river with her family.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Ralph Wurbs, professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University, about modeling river and reservoir systems to support water management.
Dr. Wurbs worked in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' water development program for nine years before joining the Texas A&M University faculty in 1980. He has taught many courses at Texas A&M University, professional development courses in Texas and abroad, and a graduate water management course several times as a visiting professor at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. His responsibilities at Texas A&M University have included serving as head of the department's Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Division, associate director for the Texas Water Resources Institute, and member of the Executive Committee of the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Water Management and Hydrologic Science. Various federal, state, and international agencies have sponsored his research and consulting. He has worked closely with the water management community of Texas for many years, most notably under the auspices of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Dr. Wurbs publications include three books from Prentice Hall: Water Management Models (1995), Modeling and Analysis of Reservoir System Operations (1996), and the textbook Water Resources Engineering, which thousands of students in Texas A&M University courses and other universities have used. His new book Managing Water in River and Reservoir Systems: Water Resources, Institutional Practices, and Constructed Infrastructure in Texas is being released by the American Society of Civil Engineers Press in March/April 2024. He has authored chapters in many other books, journals, conference papers, and technical reports. His work has been recognized by an endowed professorship, several teaching awards, and various others, including the Outstanding Research and Innovation Award of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.
Dr. Wurbs holds degrees from Texas A&M University (B.S., 1971), University of Texas at Arlington (M.S., 1974), and Colorado State University (Ph.D., 1978). He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a Founding and Honorary Diplomate of the American Academic of Water Resources Engineers.Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.
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In this conversation, Texas Water Journal & Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Scott Wright, Principal Engineer for the River Design Group, about the impact of dam removals in river restoration efforts.
Scott Wright is the Principal Engineer for the River Design Group in Corvallis, Oregon. Scott grew up in Southern Oregon on the Rogue River, which was made famous by author Zane Grey. Wright’s dad was a logger who instilled in Scott a love for the natural environment through endless days of fishing, hunting, and time in the outdoors. During his childhood, Scott witnessed a favorite fishing area on the Applegate River become inundated in a reservoir when the Applegate Dam was built. Later, he watched the Elk Creek Dam get partially built and then halted by environmental lawsuits.
These childhood experiences and engineering degrees from Oregon State University became catalysts to bring about a lasting legacy to restore rivers for future generations to enjoy. Over the past 15 years, Wright has been the Project Manager and Engineer of Record for removing four dams in the Rogue River Basin: Gold Hill Dam, Gold Ray Dam, Wimer Dam, and Fielder Dam. He has over 31 years of engineering and construction expertise that combine to provide unique insights into river restoration and sound solutions for complex problems. Not only is he a Professional Engineer, but Scott is also a Project Management Professional and a Board-Certified Water Resources Engineer.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with the Owner and Editor of The Water Report, Shaina Shay. The Water Report is a monthly publication that provides detailed and timely coverage of the innovations and decisions shaping our water future.
Shay has spent more than a decade developing expertise in water policy and management, conservation, and community outreach. Her passion for pragmatically sharing information has been a theme throughout her career. She has worked as a Water Resources and Conservation Specialist for two investor-owned utilities in Arizona, EPCOR Water and Global Water Resources. She also spent several years working in Victoria, Australia as a Water Market Specialist for the government and a Senior Consultant with Aither. Shaina has degrees in Environment and Water Resources Economics and International Relations and Affairs, both from the University of Arizona.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Rachel Fern, Statewide Wetland Program Leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about the state of wetlands in Texas, including their history, current status, and future challenges. Fern coauthored a recent article in the Texas Water Journal title "The State of Texas Wetlands."
Fern is responsible for the statewide administration of wetland habitat projects benefiting migratory game birds. She works with internal and external partners to identify, plan, and coordinate technically complex habitat, research, and public hunting projects for migratory game birds across Texas.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Kelley Cochran, General Manager of the Guadalupe County Groundwater Conservation District, about the role Groundwater Conservation Districts play in supporting the state's water management and planning efforts.
Cochran joined the district in 2014 as Executive Administrator and was promoted to General Manager in 2018. Since September 2021, she has served as the Administrator of Groundwater Management Area 13 and is the Area Representative for the Edwards Carrizo area of the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts. She is a 2021 Texas Water Leaders Program graduate, past Chairwoman and first female Chair of the Groundwater Science Division of the Texas Ground Water Association, and recipient of the Texas Ground Water Association's 'Ground Water Science Person of the Year' award January 2023.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with James Perry, Executive Vice President of the EarthWorks Division of ASTERRA, about innovative remote sensing technologies to support water management.
Perry has spent over 30 years driving disruptive innovation. In both start-ups and Fortune 500 companies, James’ key mission is market adoption and to achieve a deeper foothold into new markets. James currently serves as the Vice President for Business Development at ASTERRA, based in San Diego, California.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Karrigan Börk, Acting Professor of Law at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) School of Law, about federal efforts to protect wetland habitats.
Börk graduated from Stanford Law School in 2009 and completed his Ph.D. dissertation in Ecology at UC Davis in 2011. He clerked for Tenth Circuit Chief Judge Mary Beck Briscoe, U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson, and Judge Janice Karlin on the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Kansas. His publications run the gamut from the definitive text on the history and application of California Fish and Game Code Section 5937 to a hatchery and genetic management plan for spring-run Chinook salmon. He is currently examining legal and ethical issues in ecological restoration. His past work has focused on the management of guest species, those invasive species that managers invite in and make comfortable, and on the evolution of law via administrative actions. He is currently working on local governance issues in ecosystem management.
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In this conversation, Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler discusses managed aquifer recharge with Dr. Helen Dahlke, Associate Professor of Integrated Hydrologic Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and leader of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Water Strategic Initiative.
Dr. Dahlke has a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. Her current research interests include surface water–groundwater interaction, water resources management, vadose zone transport processes, and applications of DNA nanotechnology in hydrology. One of Helen’s main research efforts focuses on testing the feasibility of using agricultural fields as recharge sites for groundwater banking.
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