#67 - Karrigan Börk, Protecting Wetlands via the Clean Water Act

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.

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.

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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.

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.