Ripple Effect: A Podcast Putting Water In Context

Send us Fan MailJD Doyle, CEO and Founder of FUTR, joins us to talk all about landscaping focused on saving water. Outdoor water use is the biggest drain on our municipal water supply, and we discuss the methods and cutting-edge tech to fix that. In particular, artificial turf has come a long way. By using natural plant oils, SYNLawn remedies many of the previous defects. JD uses his years of on-the-ground experience to give us the dirt. A great example of real-world innovations and a totally worthwhile listen.   

Send us Fan MailMike Whimpey, Assistant General Manager, and Shaun Hilton, Assistant Chief Engineer, join us to discuss critical developments in Utah water infrastructure. Often, people incorrectly assume that Utah is behind in water planning, but we're here to set the record straight - that couldn't be further from the truth! We dive deep into how the the Geneva Steel plant was acquired and converted into a water supplier, enabling the massive population growth in Utah Valley. A local success story demonstrating Utah's innovation and forward-thinking mindset. A worthwhile listen.       

Send us Fan MailStephanie McGinnis, State Water Plan Manager, and Becca Frei, State Water Plan Specialist, join us to talk all about the updated 2026 Utah State Water Plan. This is the true big-picture plan for how Utah will manage water - from mountain watersheds to kitchen faucets - over the coming decades. We dig into what's new in this most comprehensive update yet, why basin-by-basin planning matters, and what this means for the individual user, farmers, and companies alike. If you care about where Utah's water is headed, this is the conversation to hear.Weigh in before public comment closes August 23 - https://water.utah.gov/state-water-plan/

Send us Fan MailToday we pay special tribute to a very beloved and influential guest. Steve Clyde passed away last Saturday, August 1st. In his honor, we are looking back on episode 193: Steve Clyde, Reflections.Steve Clyde, Senior Partner and Chair of the Natural Resources Practice Group at Clyde Snow & Sessions, joins us to talk about his 40 year legal career in Utah water. Steve is an esteemed Utah water lawyer responsible for shaping decades of Utah water law and mentor to countless Utah water attorneys. A wonderful discussion, personal thank you from Ripple Effect's host, and look to the future! 

Send us Fan MailReturn guest Stephanie Santell, Founder and CEO of (Re)wilding, joins us to discuss her new company. With her impressive experience working for the Environmental Protection Agency, Stephanie shares her wisdom and insight in exploring a new venture. We discuss how the landscape has changed in recent years, how companies need to adapt, and why biochar offers impressive benefits throughout it all.

Send us Fan MailWe talk all about the recently published report titled: "Why Communicating Minimum Drawdown Elevations from Lake Powell and Lake Mead can Mitigate Risks of Volatile Colorado River Flow". Joining us are the three co-authors and star guests from Utah State University: David Rosenberg, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Brittany Fager, PHD student and Student Researcher, and Anabelle Myers, Student Researcher.With historically low reservoir levels and inflows, this report seeks to prevent the catastrophic consequences of too low water levels, and seeks to determine at exactly what point those consequences happen. Armed with this knowledge, we can make smarter water decisions. 

Send us Fan MailThis week we are revisiting an earlier episode that is still highly relevant to today's water discussion. We are looking back on episode 158: HDH Desalination Technology.Christopher Link, Founder, joins us to discuss his HDH Desalination Technology and his HALO Team’s participation in Elon Musk’s X-Prize Competition. Do not miss this conversation! So many interesting and innovative ideas occurring about how to incentivize useful water tech and desalination processes. I learned a ton and am excited to share Chris’s work with our listeners.

Send us Fan MailOur very own Dr. Joe Casola, Climatologist at C.K. Blueshift, joins us to discuss the current climate, how it got here, and what the future holds. We dive deep into warming trends and what the rising heat means for society as a whole. We explore what El Niño could mean for our water, both in the monsoonal season and upcoming winter. Taking advantage of these climate trends, we can make smarter decisions for the future. 

Send us Fan MailThis week we are revisiting an earlier episode that is still highly relevant to today's water discussion. We are looking back on episode 159: Solar Panels Over Canals.Jon Parry, Assistant Manager for Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, joins us to discuss the many benefits of their solar panel demonstration project over the Layton Canal. This project is so cool on so many levels and has some serious potential for scalability win-win-wins all over the place. Great discussion about an exciting development in Utah.

Send us Fan MailChristine Rumsey from United States Geological Survey joins us to talk about the Great Salt Lake, salinity, and how the science tells us proactive berm management between the North and South Arm of the Great Salt Lake are staving off the most dire consequences of diminished inflows into the Lake. A MUST listen.

Send us Fan MailThis week we are revisiting an earlier episode that is still highly relevant to today's water discussion. We are looking back on episode 133: Solar Garden Agrivoltaics.Byron Kominek, Owner and Manager of Jack's Solar Garden, explains how he revitalized his family farm with modern technology. A creative approach that mixes old-world farming and new-world energy production in mutually beneficial symbiosis. A worthwhile listen.

Send us Fan MailHave you wondered how AI could help solve our water problems? - Eric McCulley, CEO of McCulley Watershed Consulting Services and Founder of GetWater.AI, and David Robinson, Cofounder and CEO of 9606.AI, join us to talk about exactly that. We discuss their project GetWater.AI and their plans to collectively measure and monitor our entire watershed as a wholistic system. Using real verifiable data and AI to tie it all together, we can start to make smart water decisions in the preventative stage, instead of trying to fix the aftermath.   

Send us Fan MailIn this special episode, we flip the script. Tracy Harden, Principal of Harden Communications LLC and climate and environmental steward, steps in as the interviewer to turn the tables on our host and water attorney, Emily. Sparked by the ongoing debate over data center development in Utah, Tracy voices the questions on everyone's mind: How do water rights work? How do you get one? What happens when there's a dispute, and who has the power to resolve it? Emily breaks it all down, from the basics of water law to the authority of the State Engineer.Whether you're a concerned citizen, a curious newcomer, or deep in the water world, this one's for you.

Send us Fan MailPatrick Lee, Field Manager with Envoy Public Labs, and Dr. Tim Kowalchik, of the Utah Office of Energy Development, join us to talk all about nuclear energy in Utah. We cover a wellspring of information: how nuclear power works, its power generation potential, its safety, what happens to waste, its water usage, and how it could meet Utah's growth and data center's astronomical power demands. This is an episode not to be missed.  2026 Civil Nuclear Energy Education and Community Outreach campaign - https://energy.utah.gov/resources-events/

Send us Fan MailKristina Ribellia, President and Founder of Western Water Market, joins us to give a 2026 update of her platform. A lot has happened in the past few years. We cover auctions, arbiters, quality control, and efforts to facilitate transactions through news letters, social media, and targeted outreach. We also discuss skepticism and resistance towards water markets. A great on-the-ground perspective of real-world water economy.Check out Kristina's podcast - https://westernwatermarket.com/podcast