In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I’m joined by Brian Eyler, Director of the Energy, Water & Sustainability Program at The Stimson Center, to explore one of the most important rivers in the world: the Mekong.

Over 70 million people rely on this river for food, income, and transportation — but its future is changing fast. From hydropower dams and rare earth mining, to flood pulse disruption and climate-driven storms, the Mekong is becoming one of the most engineered and pressured rivers on the planet.

0:00 Intro

5: 11 Geography of the Mekong

6:39 Why is the Mekong "Mighty"?

10:10 Rare Earth Mining on the Mekong

14:10 Effects of damming the Mekong

15:05 What is the Mekong "Flood Pulse"?

20:00 Dams in China

23:06 Why does China feel a need to build such large dams?

26:11 Geopolitics of the region

31:17 Who feels the effects of these changes in the Mekong?

35:10 Climate change and its effects on the Mekong

38:07 What are the solutions to climate change along the Mekong?

43:22 US diplomatic relations in the region

47:00 Future of the Mekong

51:17 Closing

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Follow the Stimson Center Socials!

X: @mekongmonitor

X: @stimsoncenter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mekongdammonitor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stimsoncenter

Did you know that sea otters were almost hunted to extinction for their fur? In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, I'm joined by Mr. Ian Giancarlo from Environment Oregon to discuss the importance of Sea Otters in the ecosystem!

We'll talk about the history of sea otters, the exact role they play in maintaining kelp forests, what threats they face today, and future plans to help stabilize their populations.

We'll even share some fun facts about sea otters that may surprise you! Did you know that sea otters have the densest fur out of any mammal on earth?

0:00 Intro

4:38 What are Sea Otters?

7:36 What is a keystone species?

8:40 Why were they almost hunted to extinction?10:21 Failed reintroduction of sea otters

13:10 Historical attempts to help save sea otters

14:35 What happens to an ecosystem without otters?

18:49 Kelp Forests for oxygen production

22:15 How else do otters contribute to the ecosystem?

25:12 Biggest challenges otters face in today's world

29:48 Orcas eating sea otters

32:42 What's being done today to save the otters?

42:20 Closing Remarks

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Follow the Environment Oregon Socials!

Instagram :@environmentoregon

Facebook: @enviroregon

X: @enviroregon

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In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I'm joined by Ms. Cassandra VanDyne from California State Parks to learn about the Salton Sea. It was once a desert oasis! Millions would flock here in the 1960s and 70s to swim, fish, boat, and even hold speedboat competitions!

However, once a desert paradise, it's turned into a public health and ecological disaster. All the fish inside have died out through mass extinction events and toxic dust is kicking up from the lake bed and causing residents in the surrounding area to fall ill. So what can be done to save it?

0:00 Intro

1:25 What is the Salton Sea?

6:13 Formation of the sea

12:30 Ecosystem of the sea

17:02 Why is the Salton Sea salty?

20:15 Pre-1970s Salton Sea Oasis

21:43 Decline of the sea

25:00 Fish Extinctions

28:55 Saving the Salton Sea

34:42 Closing Remarks

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Follow the Salton Sea Socials!

https://www.facebook.com/SaltonSeaSRA

https://wildlife.ca.gov/Regions/6/Salton-Sea-Program/Background

https://water.ca.gov/saltonsea/

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Did you know that it only takes less than 1/20th of an inch of rain in New York City to overwhelm the sewer system and cause raw sewage to flow out into the surrounding bodies of water?

In this episode of H2O and Beyond, we dive into the hidden power of stormwater - something many of us at home never think about. We'll discuss how cities are combating CSO's, or Combined Sewer Overflows. We'll also talk about Green Infrastructure, and how cities are implementing smart strategies to combat the growing risk of heavy rains.

0:00 Intro

1:02 What happens when it rains?

1:43 Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO)

4:46 What is Green Infrastructure?

6:47 Major Cities Implementing these Strategies

8:15 Sponginess Rankings

10:41 Ending

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The Great Salt Lake is the largest endorheic in the Western Hemisphere - but it's dying fast. Join Mr. Micah Safsten, the Great Salt Lake Water Coordinator for the State of Utah as we uncover the story behind the lake.

We'll talk about the important ecosystem and industry it supports - like sea monkeys and brine flies! We'll also discuss the causes and effects of declining water levels and what it means for the residents of Utah.

0:00 Intro

2:12 What is the Great Salt Lake?4:45 North arm vs. south arm11:36 Snowpack and lake levels14:34 Ecosystem of the lake

18:39 Sea Monkeys

20:53 Lake's effect on the climate

22:15 Recreation on the lake

26:05 Shrinking of the lake

28:44 Mineral Extraction

30:50 Quantifying drops in lake levels

36:30 Toxic Dust as a result of the exposed lakebed

40:27 Solutions to help save the lake

48:54 How can residents help out?

53:32 Optimism for the lake

55:28 Closing

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Utah Department of Natural Resources links

https://www.instagram.com/utah_dnr/

https://www.youtube.com/c/UtahDepartmentofNaturalResources

https://www.facebook.com/UtahDNR/

https://twitter.com/utahdnr

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Will Texas survive long enough to surpass its 200th birthday? In this episode of H2O and Beyond, I'm joined by Mr. Jeremy Mazur from Texas 2036 - a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that uses data to draft effective policies regarding Texas’s future.

Don’t worry if you know nothing about public policy - We’ll walk you through all the jargon that commonly confuses people. By the end of the episode, you’ll understand how organizations like Texas 2036 are able to turn ideas into real policies that benefit residents!

We’ll discuss some recent wins at Texas’s 2025 legislative session, some bills that residents will vote on in November, and future plans for the organization!

0:00 Intro

3:14 What does Texas 2036 do?

5:24 How do they manage to work with multiple political parties?

8:54 What is a legislative session and what happens at one1

16:16 Policy examples

20:24 Process of making a bill26:17 HB7, SB7, Proposition 4 - VOTING IN NOVEMBER 2025

33:23 What else is Texas 2036 doing in the interim?

41:30 How can residents get involved?

44:13 Jeremy Mazur's most interesting project

46:52 Last words and ending

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Texas 2036 Resources!

X: https://twitter.com/texas2036FB: https://www.facebook.com/Texas2036IG: https://www.instagram.com/texas2036LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/texas2036YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQhzkVXvq0kNmsoLAe9kfiw

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In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, I'm joined by Dr. Kathryn Sorensen from the Kyl Center for Water Policy at ASU to discuss Arizona's fight for water! We'll discuss some of the most pressing issues happening to the state, such as its worst drought in over 1200 years, an influx of new residents, and a need to shift away from groundwater.

We'll even discuss the logistics of how semiconductor manufacturers like TSMC get their water from when their new factory is located in the middle of the desert!

0:00 Intro

1:36 Why is water in Arizona such a unique problem?

4:34 Arizona's large groundwater supply

11:30 Agriculture in the state

14:25 Other sources of water

15:26 Nuclear power

17:15 TSMC and big tech in Arizona

19:37 Which regions are suffering the most?

22:01 1980 Groundwater Management Act

27:03 What about the native Americans?

33:49 How do you convince residents to save water?39:54 Farmers and the changing water landscape

43:35 Future of Arizona's water

48:40 Closing

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Follow the Kyl Water Center socials!

BlueSky: @kylcenterwater.bsky.social

LinkedIn: @Kyl Center for Water Policy at Morrison Institute

X/Twitter: @KylCenter

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TIMESTAMPS BELOW 👇

In this Episode of H2O and Beyond, join Mr. Dick Lanyon, former executive director of the Chicago MWRD, as we talk about how Chicago managed to reverse the flow of its river!

In the mid-late 1800s, the Chicago River, heavily polluted with human waste, flowed into Lake Michigan, the only water source for residents at the time. Waste began to accumulate in Lake Michigan, and so Ellis Chesbrough, the chief engineer of the city, devised a radical plan to reverse the flow of the river to divert the waste away.

0:00 Intro

2:10 What was happening in Chicago in the 1800s?

6:52 Consideration of possible solutions

8:01 Logistics of reversing the river

14:18 Construction begins

20:03 Role of immigrants in construction

24:38 What changed for Chicago?

29:28 Consequences on the communities downstream

32:24 Invasive species infiltrating the river

37:38 State of the river today

43:25 Closing

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Follow the MWRD socials!

https://mwrd.org/

https://www.instagram.com/mwrd_of_greater_chicago/?hl=en

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