Talk+Water

Texas+Water
  • 5.0 (13)
  • EARTH SCIENCES
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

Talk+Water takes a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves. Every month Todd H. Votteler, Ph.D. interviews special guests making unique contributions in the water profession.  Talk+Water has been rated one of the top water podcasts in the world in multiple water podcast reviews!  Check out the latest ratings from Feedspot!  If you are enjoying Talk+Water please subscribe and leave us a review.

  1. #108, Dr. Margaret Cook, Data Center Water Use in Texas

    APR 17

    #108, Dr. Margaret Cook, Data Center Water Use in Texas

    Send us Fan Mail 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 Dr. Margaret Cook, Vice President of Water & Community Resilience at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), about water use of data centers in Texas. Margaret leads a team of experts who build collaborative initiatives to enhance community resilience, sustainable development, and the availability and affordability of clean water. She is a seasoned sustainability leader with a proven record of innovative research and solution development. With a strong foundation in engineering, policy, and the water-energy-climate nexus, she has successfully collaborated with diverse stakeholders to address critical challenges in these sectors, co-developing programs with communities and prioritizing those with the greatest need. Margaret’s research focuses on developing and implementing solutions for water resource management, energy access and affordability, and climate adaptation. Margaret earned a Doctorate in Civil Engineering with a certificate in Engineering Education, a Master's degree in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, all from the University of Texas at Austin Cockrell School of Engineering. She also holds a dual Master's degree in Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    38 min
  2. #107, Sarah Stogner & Ron Green, Pollution from Inactive Oil and Gas Wells in Texas

    MAR 25

    #107, Sarah Stogner & Ron Green, Pollution from Inactive Oil and Gas Wells in Texas

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, examines how failed P-13 wells, which are former oil and gas wells converted for water use, can fall outside regulatory oversight and create risks for Texas groundwater, with Sarah Stogner, District Attorney for the Texas 143rd Judicial District, and Dr. Ron Green, retired hydrologist. Sarah Stogner is the elected District Attorney for the 143rd Judicial District in rural West Texas. A West Texas landowner herself, she has become one of the state’s most vocal advocates for holding the oil and gas industry accountable for improperly plugged legacy wells—known as “zombie wells”—that threaten land, water, and property rights across Texas. She is the founder of Zombie Wells, a platform that connects affected landowners with regulatory data and legal resources. In 2022, Sarah ran for Texas Railroad Commissioner, advancing to the Republican primary runoff in a race that sharpened her focus on the Commission’s chronic failure to enforce plugging obligations and pursue successor liability against the majors. She brings a ground-level perspective that combines courtroom experience, regulatory policy knowledge, and the firsthand reality of owning land in oil country. Dr. Ron Green is a retired hydrologist, formerly with the Southwest Research Institute and the consulting firm, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber. He has specialized in groundwater hydrology and environmental geophysics, with a focus on water resource assessment and karst hydrology. He has volunteered on the state board of trustees of The Nature Conservancy in Texas, serving as chair of its Conservation and Science Committee. He has also served as board chair for the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. For a deeper dive into this topic, read their paper published in the Texas Water Journal: https://twj-ojs-tdl.tdl.org/twj/article/view/7212. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    49 min
  3. #106, Travis Loop on the waterloop and water news

    MAR 13

    #106, Travis Loop on the waterloop and water news

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses the role of journalism and storytelling in advancing water solutions with Travis Loop, founder of the waterloop, an award-winning nonprofit news outlet exploring water sustainability.  Travis began his career as a newspaper reporter and returned to his passion for journalism to launch and operate the platform. He brings more than 20 years of experience, including serving as communications director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Water Environment Federation, and the Chesapeake Bay Program, as well as speechwriter for the Governor of Hawaii. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    54 min
  4. #105, Ted Stets on the USGS National Water Availability Assessment

    MAR 2

    #105, Ted Stets on the USGS National Water Availability Assessment

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses the National Water Availability Assessment project, with Dr. Ted Stets, a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), who is leading the assessment.  The assessment project is tasked with producing a comprehensive, integrated assessment of the nation’s water availability. The first National Water Assessment was published in January 2025; a supplement will be published at the end of 2026, and updates to the report are scheduled every five years thereafter. Stets received a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2007, working on carbon and nutrient cycling in surface waters. His work at the USGS has focused on catchment hydrology and elemental cycling, as well as on the former National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA), which officially ended in 2018 after a 30-year run. Ted lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    30 min
  5. #104, Kirsten James on Ceres’ Valuing Water Finance Initiative

    FEB 25

    #104, Kirsten James on Ceres’ Valuing Water Finance Initiative

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, discusses how investors and companies are confronting water-related financial risks with Kristen James, Senior Water Program Director at Ceres.  Kirsten directs Ceres' strategy supporting investors and companies in addressing challenges facing our freshwater systems. Her work includes leading the Valuing Water Finance Initiative, a global effort to support investors working with companies to reduce financial risks stemming from water scarcity, pollution, and damage to freshwater ecosystems.  Previously, Kirsten served for five years as the director of California policy and partnerships at Ceres, where she led strategy development for Ceres’s California-focused policy work, engaging companies and investors in support of public policies that call for sustainable water management, clean energy, and greenhouse gas emissions reductions in California.   Prior to Ceres, Kirsten worked for a water resource-focused NGO as its Science and Policy Director. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a master’s degree in environmental science and management from the Bren School at the University of California, Santa Barbara.  Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    40 min
  6. #102 - Brian Richter interviews Todd Votteler about "Water Markets for Texas" (and beyond!)

    JAN 15

    #102 - Brian Richter interviews Todd Votteler about "Water Markets for Texas" (and beyond!)

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation recorded on February 6, 2025, Brian Richter, President of Sustainable Waters, trades places with Talk+Water host, Dr. Todd H. Votteler, to interview him about "Water Markets for Texas."  In 2025, Texas 2036 published "Water Markets for Texas" a major multi-year report analyzing how voluntary, well-structured water markets have operated in two regions of the state and what lessons they offer for any Texas communities preparing for its long-term water needs.    The report, authored by Votteler with contributions from Gabriel Collins, J.D., and Dr. Matthew Berg, draws on five decades of hydrologic data, regulatory analysis and interviews with Texas water managers, groundwater leaders, and Western water experts to understand the conditions that enable regional markets to function and why those conditions exist in only a few parts of Texas today.  The report goes beyond Texas with lessons for establishing of new water markets that are applicable in other states.   Votteler is a former federal special master and river authority executive with expertise in conflict resolution, stakeholder engagement, and policy development. Votteler is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Water Journal and Texas+Water, and the host of the Talk+Water podcast. He is a Fellow of the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University, a Visiting Scholar at The Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin, and a Board Member for the Whitefish Lake Institute.   Brian Richter has been a global leader in water science and conservation for more than 30 years. He is the President of Sustainable Waters, a global organization focused on water scarcity challenges, where 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. 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. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    1h 12m
  7. #103 - Margot Molloy, Cam Wobus & Emily Lewis discuss CK Blueshift

    JAN 7

    #103 - Margot Molloy, Cam Wobus & Emily Lewis discuss CK Blueshift

    Send us Fan Mail 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 issues with Margot Molloy, Director of CK Blueshift, Cam Wobus, Principal at CK Blueshift, and Emily Lewis, Partner at Culp & Kelly. Margot Molloy is the Director of CK Blueshift a strategist, a facilitator and an executive coach that works with Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, public agencies, and foundations. Her areas of expertise include launching complex new initiatives, orchestrating cross-sector collaboration to shape actionable strategies, and supporting leadership in transition. Cam Wobus is a Principal at C.K. Blueshift and a broadly trained earth scientist with expertise in hydrology, geomorphology, climate change, and economics. He supports clients with the quantification and monetization of climate change impacts on flood risk, water availability, and ecosystem health. He maintains a research affiliation at the University of Colorado, where he continues grant-funded research on behalf of the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Finally, Emily Lewis is a veteran of Talk+Water. Emily is a Partner at Culp & Kelly where she assists clients in navigating and solving complex water problems. She regularly advises water right owners, municipalities, investors, agricultural users, and non-governmental organizations. Emily’s work focuses on designing and implementing practical solutions that secure client’s water resiliency in the face of challenging and changing conditions. Emily hosts a popular water podcast, Ripple Effect– A Podcast Putting Water in Context. Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    29 min
  8. #101 - Austin College’s Public Administration Symposium

    12/04/2025

    #101 - Austin College’s Public Administration Symposium

    Send us Fan Mail In this conversation, Dr. Todd Votteler, Principal of Collaborative Water Resolution and Editor-in-Chief of Texas+Water and the Texas Water Journal, moderates the 2025 Public Administration Symposium at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. On October 29, 2025, at the invitation of Professor Frank Rohmer, I provided the keynote talk for the Public Administration Symposium at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. The symposium, which was titled “The Challenge of Water in Fast Growing Texas,” was sponsored by the Sumner Foundation and presented by the Austin College Pre-Law Society.  The symposium was held less than a week before Texas voters approved Proposition 4, an important new funding program for Texas water infrastructure and new supplies. As part of the symposium I moderated its two panels which proceeded my talk. These panels focused on regional water issues and how the funding contemplated under Proposition 4 might impact water management in Texas.  Panel 1 included: Galen Roberts, Director of Water Resources for the North Texas Municipal Water District; Jason Pierce, Director of Governmental Affairs & Communications for the Upper Trinity Regional Water District; and Dr. Peter Schultze, Professor of Biology & Environmental Science at Austin College. Panel 2 included: David Kelly, Government Affairs Manager for the North Texas Municipal Water District; Wayne Lee, Director of Engineering for the City of Sherman; and finally Perry Fowler, Executive Director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network.   The following discussion provided important insights into the current and future water needs of this rapidly growing region where multiple multibillion dollar semiconductor factories are already under construction.   Take a deep dive into the world of water with those making  waves! Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

    2h 6m
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

Talk+Water takes a deep dive into the world of water with those making waves. Every month Todd H. Votteler, Ph.D. interviews special guests making unique contributions in the water profession.  Talk+Water has been rated one of the top water podcasts in the world in multiple water podcast reviews!  Check out the latest ratings from Feedspot!  If you are enjoying Talk+Water please subscribe and leave us a review.

Information

  • Creator
    Texas+Water
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talk+Water
  • Show Website
    Talk+Water

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