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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 Scot McFarlane, author and founder of the Oxbow History Company, about the Trinity River’s overlooked role in shaping Texas.

Scot grew up along the banks of the Trinity River and has devoted his career to recovering the forgotten histories of American waterways. A historian with a PhD from Columbia University—where he designed and taught "Rivers, Politics, and Power"—he brings both rigorous scholarship and a personal connection to The River That Made Texas.

His book, The River That Made Texas: A Forgotten History of the Trinity, will be released on September 29 and is available for preorder.

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Also, just a note that Talk+Water has been ranked as one of the top water podcasts in the world by FeedSpot and MillionPodcasts!

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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 James Eklund, a water and natural resources law attorney and partner at Taft/ Sherman & Howard, about how the Colorado River’s shrinking water supply is forcing the American West to rethink how water is shared, conserved, and governed.

James is one of the American West’s leading water lawyers, a fifth-generation Colorado rancher, and a trusted advisor to governments, utilities, developers, and landowners navigating the complexities of water and land. As a partner at Taft/ Sherman & Howard, he leads the firm’s Water & Natural Resources practice and represents clients in water-rights litigation, land and infrastructure transactions, interstate compact matters, and natural-resource policy.

James previously served as Director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the state’s top water agency, where he led the development of Colorado’s first comprehensive State Water Plan. He also served as Colorado’s Commissioner to the Upper Colorado River Commission, placing him directly at the center of Colorado River negotiations, drought contingency planning, and interstate compact administration.

Earlier in his career, James served as an Assistant Attorney General and later as Legal Counsel to the Governor of Colorado, advising on water, agriculture, natural resources, and environmental policy. His combined experience inside state government, across the Colorado River Basin, and in private practice gives him a uniquely practical understanding of how water law affects land ownership, development, valuation, and risk.

James also brings more than a century of lived knowledge from his family’s Norse Sky Ranch, homesteaded in 1888, where his family has managed irrigated agriculture and water rights for five generations. This background allows him to bridge the gap between legal doctrine and on-the-ground realities for brokers and land professionals.

He has taught courses at both the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Denver, and he is a frequent speaker to national audiences, including the Realtors Land Institute, Colorado Water Congress, AIAI, and numerous universities and industry associations. His work and commentary have appeared in the New York Times, NPR, and many other regional and national outlets.

James earned his B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Denver College of Law.

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!

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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 Ivo Zution Gonçalves, a Research Assistant Professor for the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, about the current status and future of irrigated agriculture in the United States.

Ivo Zution Gonçalves is an agronomist engineer with a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering from the State University of Campinas in Brazil and a master’s degree in Plant Production from the Federal University of Espírito Santo in Brazil. His work focuses on applying remote sensing, evapotranspiration modeling, irrigation management, and crop modeling to support food and water security without compromising water use for other vital human and environmental needs. He has published approximately 50 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and has contributed to several international projects focused on water resources management, irrigation, and sustainable agricultural systems.

Read Gonçalves’ new article, “Irrigated Agriculture in the United States: Current Status and Future Frontiers,” published in Agricultural Water Management: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377426002003.

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!