Ripple Effect

Dan Adams, Senior Executive with the Langdon Group, and Celeste Carlisle; Biologist with Return to Freedom Wild Horse, Sanctuary, Educational, and Advocacy Group; Chair of the National BLM Wildhorse Working Group; and Chair of National BLM & Forest Service Wild and Burro Advisory Board; join us to talk wild horses in the West.This free ranging discussion covers the incredibly complex and emotionally charged issue of wild horses. We talk about the environmental complexities, the regulatory complexities, and the political complexities informing solution making on this topic. Fascinating discussion.

Andrew Pompeo, Environmental Engineer with Division of Water Quality, and Dani Zebelean, Environmental Engineer with Division of Drinking Water, join us to discuss Utah's water reuse projects and regulatory process. Andrew and Dani provide a fantastic overview of municipal waste water systems, how water reuse fits into that process, and what the future of reuse might look like in Utah.

Jason Brown, Vice President of Communications and Education at Envision Utah, and Bart Forsyth, Utah Water Ways Policy Advisor, join us to talk about the release of the Utah Water Values study. This extremely helpful survey, study, and review makes a contemporary assessment about what Utahns are thinking about Utah's water. The study provides concrete recommendations regarding the terminology that most resonates with Utah, their biggest concerns, and what their hopes are for the future. The Utah Values Study will guide how Utah Water Ways and other Utah organizations engage and inform Utah citizens about water.

Sarah Page, Drinking Water Treatment Lead for the Utah Division of Drinking Water, joins us to provide a great PFAS update. We discuss EPA's final, but not yet implemented PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation, what monitoring and remediating PFAS will look like for various water systems, and the role of Guns and Roses in engaging water communication. Super practical information about a critical topic that will be with us a long, long time. 

Sarah Null, Professor at Utah State University in the Department in Watershed Sciences, Nell Green Nylon, Senior Research Fellow, and Molly Bruce, Research Fellow at the Center for Law, Energy, & Environment at the UC Berkeley School of Law, join us to talk about their report “Information Needs for Water Markets: Fair and Effective Water Markets Require Adequate Measurement and Reporting of Diversion and Use.” This collaborative effort synthesizes a number of key trends and themes across California, New Mexico, and Utah, impacting the ability to set up and establish water markets. The Report does a great job compiling a large amount of information and stakeholder feedback and distilling it into actionable recommendations. Fantastic effort led by a great group! 

Doug Clyde, Project Manager for High Altitude Watershed Planning for Mountain Resort Consulting and former Member of Summit County Council Planning Commission, joins us to talk about the importance of watershed health and incorporating watershed protections to land use planning rules and regulations. We discuss the specifics of the Kamas Valley in Summit County, Utah as a prime example of high altitude valleys, rural development, and how prospective land use planning can protect the water quality of a critical tributary to the Great Salt Lake. 

Shaina Shay, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the Water Report, joins us to talk about her thoughts and themes for the upcoming 2025 Water Year. We discuss 1) Climate Change Adaptation: fire, floods, and drought and the rise of nature based solutions; 2) Funding: the end of a once in a generation surge of money for water through the Bi-partisan Infrastructure Bill and Covid relief funding and growing collaborative efforts to pool public, private, and corporate dollars; and 3) Administration Change: keeping watch on changes under the new Trump Administration and the lasting impacts of Sackett and the death of Chevon deference. We also discuss perennial hot topics of advanced water treatment technologies and the Colorado River. Great discussion for the New Year!! 

Jeff Gittins, partner at the law firm of Smith Hartvigsen and author of the Utah Water Law and Water Rights Blog, joins us for a 2025 Utah Legislative Preview. After several years of non-stop action, 2025 is shaping up to be a bit slower with most bills addressing specific administrative tweaks or brass tack items. This intentional slowdown is giving Utah some breathing room to let the big programs we have set up over the last several years develop and to identify the not so flashy but important micro-changes that make practicing water law easier. Check out his blog: https://utahwaterrights.blogspot.com/ 

Brett Bovee of Westwater Resources joins your host Emily Lewis to discuss the Utah Water Marketing Strategies Project. For the last 4 years Brett and Emily have been working with a Project Management Team of Clyde Snow, Westwater, HDR Engineering, the Utah Division of Water Resources, and the Utah Division of Water Rights to pilot the Utah Water Banking Act and to distill lessons learned into broader Statewide Water Marketing Strategies. This is a project near and dear to our hearts and a MUST listen.

Brian Steed - Executive Director, Anna McEntire - Managing Director, and Stephanie Frohman - Associate Director, join us to discuss the purpose and mission of the Institute. The Institute is an exciting new(ish) effort to best use the fantastic research capabilities of USU to inform and support Utah's policy objectives for land, air, and water. By bringing together academics, State agencies, and corporate partners, the Institute is taking an interdisciplinary approach to ensuring Utah is identifying, supporting, and executing Utah's natural resource priority issues.