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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Brian Richter, President of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges. Brian Richter has been a global water science and conservation leader for over 30 years. At Sustainable Waters, he promotes sustainable water use and management with governments, corporations, universities, and local communities. He previously served as Director of the Global Water Program of The Nature Conservancy, an international conservation organization. Richter 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. Richter 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. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Dr. Manny Teodoro, Professor for the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin, about issues facing the drinking water industry. Dr. Manny Teodoro's research stands at the nexus of politics, public policy, and public management. He works mainly on American environmental policy design, evaluation, and implementation. This line of research includes explorations of public verse private utility management and regulatory implementation as a matter of environmental justice. On the public management side, his work emphasizes professional labor markets as predictors of innovation and organizational performance. Dr. Teodoro's 2011 book, Bureaucratic Ambition (Johns Hopkins University Press), argues that career concerns shape organizational innovation and democratic governance. His 2022 book, The Profits of Distrust (with Samantha Zuhlke, David Switzer, Cambridge University Press), links the meteoric rise of the commercial drinking water industry to distrust in government and a broader withdrawal from civic life. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks about water-related bills that passed during the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature with Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas 2036, Sarah Schlessinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Water Foundation, and Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC, and Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TWIN). Rubinstein was appointed chairman of the Texas Water Development Board from 2013-2015. During his tenure, he oversaw the implementation of the $2 billion State Water Infrastructure Fund for Texas. Rubinstein also served as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) from 2009–2013. He has also served as deputy executive director of TCEQ and Rio Grande Watermaster. As the Executive Director of the TXWIN, 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. Mazur directs Texas 2036’s work in the area of natural resources, which includes water, oil and gas, and energy. He also directs research and policy development in water. His current projects include studying water markets, developing a strategic implementation plan for recent federal water legislation, and improving the state’s infrastructure and resilience to extreme weather. Schlessinger previously worked in groundwater policy and regulation and has experience with international nonprofits and disaster response. In addition to her role as Executive Director of the Texas Water Foundation, she currently serves as an appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory Council and as a board member for Texas Water Trade. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Texas Tribune reporters Jayme Lozano Carver and Alejandra Martinez about the Tribune’s Broken Pipes series, which examines the state's deteriorating water infrastructure. Jayme Lozano Carver is the Texas Tribune's first Lubbock-based reporter, covering the South Plains and Panhandle through a partnership with Report for America. She previously worked for Texas Tech Public Media, Lubbock's NPR station, where she spearheaded "Rural Healthcare: The Other Texas Drought," a series for PBS' "Frontline" on rural hospital closures in Texas. She also covered a broad range of topics for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, including climate change, agriculture, entertainment, and health care. Born in Levelland, Carver is a native of the South Plains area and studied at South Plains College and Texas Tech University. She loves to talk about her cats, horror movies, and pro wrestling. Alejandra Martinez joined the Texas Tribune in the fall of 2022 as a Dallas-based environmental reporter. She was previously an accountability reporter at KERA, where she began as a Report for America Corps Member and then covered Dallas City Hall. Before that, she worked as an associate producer at WLRN, South Florida's public radio station. Martinez studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and interned at KUT and NPR's Latino USA. She's a native of the Aldine area of Harris County and speaks fluent Spanish. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Kevin Kluge, Water Conservation Manager for Austin Water, about programs offered by Austin Water that help customers conserve water. As Water Conservation Manager, Kluge oversees a range of water conservation programs, including incentives, irrigation evaluations, commercial efficiency assessments, and water waste enforcement. Prior to his position with Austin Water, he spent 20 years with the Texas Water Development Board, culminating in the role of Director of Conservation and Innovative Water Technologies. Kevin holds a Master of Science in Natural Resource Utilization and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks about water and the 88th Session of the Texas Legislature with Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network (TXWIN), Sarah Schlessinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Water Foundation, and Jeremy Mazur, Senior Policy Advisor for Texas 2036. As the Executive Director of the TXWIN, 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. Mazur directs Texas 2036’s work in the area of natural resources, which includes water, oil and gas, and energy. Since joining Texas 2036 in September 2021,. Mazur also directs research and policy development in water. His current projects include a study on water markets, developing a strategic implementation plan for recent federal water legislation, and improving the state’s infrastructure and resilience to extreme weather. Schlessinger previously worked in groundwater policy and regulation and has experience with international nonprofits and disaster response. In addition to being the Executive Director of the Texas Water Foundation she currently serves as an appointed member of the Water Conservation Advisory Council and as a board member for Texas Water Trade. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Lori Olson, Executive Director of the Texas Land Trust Council, about two bills, HB 3165 and HJR 138, in the current legislative session that, if passed, would create the Texas Land and Water Conservation Fund. Olson has served as the Executive Director of the Texas Land Trust Council since July 2011, working to strengthen the coalition of land and water conservation organizations working across Texas. In her work with the Council, she engages in state and federal advocacy, strategic outreach and research projects that promote the many benefits of conservation, and offers training and technical assistance, including hosting the annual Texas Land Conservation Conference. Olson has over two decades of experience in land conservation, working with land trusts in Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with David Baker and Robin Gary with the Watershed Association (WA) about the ongoing drought's impacts on Jacob's Well and the Trinity Aquifer. Baker is an artist, conservationist, and environmental advocate equally at ease with a brush in his studio or envisioning an environmental canvas the size of the Texas Hill Country. Since moving his family to the iconic Jacob’s Well Spring near Wimberley in 1988, he has dedicated his life and boundless creative energy to the land, water and building a conservation network across Cypress Creek, the Blanco River watershed, and the Texas Hill Country. He founded the WA in 1996 and has since served as the Executive Director, having assembled more than 400 acres of owned and managed conserved lands surrounding Jacob’s Well in honor of protecting it and the waters that feed it. Before joining the WA, Gary worked as a geographer for the U.S. Geological Survey's Texas Water Science Center doing data management, spatial analysis, and GIS, and was part of the team that helped establish the spring flow gauging station at Jacob's Well. She also served as the Public Information and Education Coordinator for the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District where she helped build an impactful and collaborative educational program, supported and educated well owners and groundwater users, and researched methods to assess groundwater use, well drilling trends, and aquifer dynamics. Photo by Todd Votteler (3/27/2023). Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Carlos Rubinstein, Principal at RSAH2O, LLC, and Vanessa Puig-Williams, Director of the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) Texas Water Program, about flaws in Texas' groundwater planning process and the water legislation in the 88th Texas Legislature. Rubinstein was appointed chairman of the Texas Water Development Board from 2013-2015. During his tenure, he oversaw the implementation of the $2 billion State Water Infrastructure Fund for Texas. Rubinstein also served as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) from 2009–2013. He has also served as deputy executive director of TCEQ and as Rio Grande Watermaster. Puig-Williams leads EDF’s efforts to advance sustainable groundwater management in Texas. Prior to joining EDF, she was the Executive Director of the Trinity Edwards Springs Protection Association. As a water and environmental attorney, she has advised landowners and nonprofits on issues related to land and water conservation and practiced in the environmental division of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Jim Bradbury, founder of James D. Bradbury, PLLC, about water policy issues related to agriculture and landowner rights. After practicing with some of the largest law firms in Texas, Bradbury formed his own firm to serve his clients more directly. James D. Bradbury, PLLC, serves Austin, Fort Worth, and Montana. He has practiced for over three decades, representing clients in litigation of all types: real estate, water law, conservation, and eminent domain. Bradbury has extensive trial experience and has served as counsel in many trials. He is admitted to practice before courts in Texas, Arkansas, and Montana as well as the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the Fifth and Eighth Circuits and the U.S. Supreme Court. His approach to client problems is straightforward and direct. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief Dr. Todd Votteler talks with Reem Zoun, PE, CFM, ENV SP, Director of the Flood Planning Division at the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), about developing the first state flood plan for Texas. Zoun is leading the TWDB's effort towards developing the statewide flood planning program, the delivery of the first sets of regional flood plans, and the state flood plan for the State of Texas. She has over 22 years of private and public sector experience in engineering, modeling, mapping, capital improvement project portfolio management and delivery, management, and leadership. Before joining the TWDB in 2019, Zoun worked for the City of Austin, AECOM, Pasminco Elura Mine, and the Victoria Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Australia. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.

Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Todd Votteler, talks with Maria Richards, Geothermal Laboratory Coordinator in the Department of Earth Sciences at Southern Methodist University (SMU), and Joseph Batir, Geothermal Lead at Petrolern, about the geothermal energy potential of Texas. Recently, the Texas Water Journal published their article, “Determining Geothermal Resources in Three Texas Counties.”Maria Richards' research focuses on geothermal resources and energy development. Her projects vary from computer-generated temperature-depth maps for Google.org to on-site geothermal exploration of the volcanic islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. Currently, her concentration is on the conversion of oil/gas wells into geothermal energy producers. She co-coordinates the SMU Node of the National Geothermal Data System funded by the Department of Energy. Past research includes the Eastern Texas Geothermal Assessment, Geothermal Map of North America, and the resource assessment for the MIT Report on the Future of Geothermal Energy.Joseph Batir is an exploration geoscientist for Petrolern. He has exploration experience in the Gulf Coast, East Texas and South Texas, Permian Basin, Alaska (Cook Inlet and Interior), British Columbia, offshore West Africa, Illinois Basin, Michigan Basin, Snake River Plain, and the Hellisheidi geothermal field in Iceland. His research has resulted in new insights and prospect generation within existing and emerging plays. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves.