In this episode of H2O and Beyond, we explore the story of Tulare Lake — once the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi — and one of the most overlooked water systems in the United States.

Joined by experts from the Tulare Basin Watershed Partnership, we dive into the history, science, and complexity of a lake that doesn’t behave like most others. Unlike permanent lakes, Tulare Lake has always been dynamic — rising and falling with storms, droughts, and human intervention. But over the past century, it’s been almost completely engineered, drained, and reshaped to support agriculture in California’s Central Valley.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro – The lake that disappeared… and came back

04:20 How the basin works (why water gets trapped)

09:00 Why the lake constantly rises and falls

13:20 Human engineering – levees, farming, and control

19:05 Ecosystem overview – why this place was unique

27:30 Wildlife + biodiversity of the lake

34:10 Native communities and how they lived with the lake

40:50 Modern challenges – agriculture, water demand, sustainability

42:40 Hope for the future + closing thoughts

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Resources: https://www.tularebasinwatershedpartnership.org/

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In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I’m joined by historian Dr. Sarah Cameron to unpack the story of the Aral Sea — one of the greatest environmental catastrophes of the 20th century.

How did a massive inland sea in Central Asia nearly disappear?

What role did Soviet cotton production play?

And what happens to communities when an entire ecosystem collapses?

We dive into the Cold War politics behind the diversion of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, the rise of cotton as a “strategic crop,” and how irrigation infrastructure slowly strangled the sea.

We also explore the human side of the crisis — from fishing communities forced to abandon their livelihoods to toxic dust storms that reshaped public health in the region.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

3:59 What is the Aral Sea?

10:46 How did the sea affect the climate?

12:07 Why did the Soviets drain the sea?

24:13 How were locals affected?

28:41 Dust Storms

31:54 What does the Aral Sea look like now?

38:04 Revival Efforts

45:41 Closing

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Resources:

https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501730436/the-hungry-steppe/#bookTabs=5

https://decentarch.hypotheses.org/866

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/life-and-death-aral-sea-conversation-wilson-fellow-sarah-cameron

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In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I’m joined by Morgan Shimabuku from the Pacific Institute to break down how water becomes a trigger, casualty, and weapon in conflict. We explore what actually qualifies as a water conflict, why the term “water wars” can be misleading, and what global data reveals about where and how these conflicts are increasing.

We discuss real-world examples from around the globe, including the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Ukraine, and Gaza—examining how water infrastructure is destroyed, shut off, or weaponized, and what that means for civilian populations.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

7:39 What are water conflicts?

11:12 Trends in water conflicts

17:30 Are water conflicts an issue in the developed world?

22:04 How are water conflicts resolved?

29:09 Conflicts in Gaza

34:09 Other work at the Pacific Institute

36:28 Closing

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Pacific Institute Resources: https://www.worldwater.org/water-conflict/https://www.worldwater.org/conflict/map/www.pacinst.org