Helping our water do more with Aaron Derwingson of the Nature Conservancy
Release Date: 04/21/2023
Forged and foraged with Chef Joshua Drage
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For Chef Joshua Drage, fire is more than a cooking method - it is a unifying ingredient in his culinary creations. Drage's passion lies in crafting dishes that pay homage to the American West; emphasizing the connection between fire and food. Drage collaborates with local producers to source the freshest ingredients skillfully blending bold flavors while championing healthy eating. Today's episode of On Land is a literal fireside chat with Chef Joshua Drage. Join WLA's Christina Wenikowski and Zach Altman on a culinary journey to Chef Drage's cabin in the forested hills near...
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Forest stewardship in the age of megafires with Dave Tenny
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Bonus | Grizzly Bears and the Endangered Species Act: What’s Changing?
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UPDATE: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has extended the public comment period on proposed changes to the grizzly bear’s Endangered Species Act listing. The new deadline is May 16. Today we’re sharing an episode from Working Wild University, our award-winning documentary podcast about the people and wildlife of the American West. Western Landowners Alliance produces this show in partnership with Dr. Jared Beaver, a wildlife extension specialist at Montana State University. Be sure to check out Working Wild U wherever you listen to podcasts. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is...
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Conserving Soundscapes with Sensory Ecologist Jesse Barber
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How does human-related sound impact wildlife around us? From trails to roads to cities, this question propels Dr. Jesse Barber, a leader in the emerging field of sensory ecology. Jesse Barber is a professor of biological sciences at Boise State University. He was recently appointed as the chief conservation curator and chief conservation scientist at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In today's episode, Barber joins Lesli Allison, CEO of Western Landowners Alliance, for a fascinating conversation about the field of sensory ecology, the role of private lands in sustaining...
info_outlineToday on the show, Western Landowners Alliance's Programs Director Hallie Mahowald had the pleasure of talking to a good friend, Aaron Derwingson. Derwingson is the water projects director for the Nature Conservancy's Colorado River program. He and Hallie both live in Salida, Colorado.
Derwingson has piloted water banking and other tools for flexible water management, conducted field research on the impacts of reduced irrigation, evaluated alternative low water use crops, and upgraded irrigation systems to help improve river flows. Before joining The Nature Conservancy, Aaron served as the Stewardship Director for the Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust. They discussed the current situation on the Colorado River, some of the many ways that landowners, in partnership with organizations like TNC, are making their water go farther and do more, and the role of water markets in creating the flexibility in the river system that is needed.
You can find links to references from the conversation, as well as a complete transcript of this episode, at onland.westernlandowners.org.
Topics discussed
[00:01:30] Shortage challenges in the Colorado River Basin
[00:02:19] Doing more with less water
[00:04:50] Examples of solutions for making our water go farther
[00:05:56] Maybell irrigation District diversion improvements
[00:08:31] Minute 323 water for the environment
[00:09:59] Role of water markets
[00:11:38] All water is local
[00:12:20] Power, rural communities and water
[00:13:30] Federal funding and the big opportunity right now
[00:14:56] Role of the states in water funding
[00:16:38] Are our institutions nimble enough for the water crisis
[00:18:09] How water rights holders can be involved in solutions
[00:19:00] Auto Tarp and appropriate technology
[00:20:11] Low-tech restoration
[00:20:57] Compensation for leaving water instream
[00:21:46] Markets for flexibility and public benefit
[00:22:58] Creative water sharing agreements
[00:24:41] Integrate the social with the technical
[00:27:07] The urgency of the Colorado River crisis keeps him up at night
[00:28:25] Elinor Ostrom and the tragedy of the commons
[00:29:37] We need landowners to solve this crisis