Politics of Groundwater: When Populations, Politics, and Critters Collide

Presented on Monday, April 29, 2013

Water is often in the crosshairs of controversy. But combine increasing and competing demands, endangered species, and politics, and things can get downright explosive. The purpose of this panel is to explore the pitfalls and solutions of managing groundwater when the science is the least of your worries.

Presenters:
Robert E. Mace, Ph.D., PG
Water Science and Conservation, Texas Water Development Board, Austin, TX
Robert E. Mace joined the Texas Water Development Board in 1999 to manage the Groundwater Availability Modeling Program. Over the next nine years, he rose from a unit leader to director for the Groundwater Resources Division to assuming his present role in 2009 as a Deputy Executive Administrator to lead the Water Science & Conservation program area for the agency. Prior to Texas Water Development Board, Dr. Mace worked eight years at the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin as a hydrologist and research scientist.
Todd Votteler
Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, Seguin, TX
Todd H. Votteler, Ph.D. is the Executive Manager of Science, Intergovernmental Relations and Policy for the Guadalupe – Blanco River Authority. He is also the current Chairman of the Texas Land Trust Council and the Chairman of the Guadalupe Basin Coalition. Votteler has a B.S. in Natural Resources from The University of the South (1986), an M.S. in Natural Resources from The University of Michigan (1989), and course work toward a Ph.D. in Public Policy from The University of Texas at Austin LBJ School of Public Affairs, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Geography from Texas State University (2000).

Chuck Ahrens
San Antonio Water System, San Antonio, TX
Ahrens joined the San Antonio Water System in 2004 and currently serves as the Vice President of Water Resources and Conservation. Ahrens is responsible for the development of a high quality, diversified water supply for a community of more than 1.3 million people in Bexar County. Ahrens leads the areas of water conservation, drought management, water rights acquisitions, and water supply project development and he interacts with numerous public officials at all levels of government. Ahrens received his undergraduate degree from Texas State University in Geography – Urban and Regional Planning.
Robert Gully
Edwards Aquifer Authority, San Antonio, TX
Robert Gulley is the Executive Director of the Habitat Conservation Program at the Edwards Aquifer Authority. In that position he is responsible for the managing the implementation of the Edwards Aquifer Habitat Conservation Plan. Prior to assuming this position he was the Program Manager for the Edwards Aquifer Recovery Implementation Program. Gulley has 25-years-experience as an environmental attorney. Gulley has a B.A. and J.D. from the University of Texas and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He is an author on over 35 scientific and four legal papers.
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