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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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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.

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