The Water Zone

Golf Irrigation Celebration

Featured guest Mike Read, Director of Golf Sales & Marketing for The Toro Company describes the critical factors required to help golf courses and superintendents maintain pristine conditions, especially for PGA Tournaments. He also addresses the latest in irrigation technologies and how smart systems equip superintendents with real-time data and provide the ability to control an entire system from a mobile device.

Podcast recorded on June 10, 2021

Stats & Rec

Principle of AZ Sports Field, Inc., Andy Slack shares a day in the life of today's water manager and reminisces about some of his greatest challenges and fun projects like the Annenberg Family Trust facility in Palm Springs. Then President & CEO of California Water Data Consortium, Tara Moran addresses the need for standardized data reporting and access for local and state water agencies to enable real-time critical decisions about current water availability.

Podcast recorded on June 3, 2021

Investment & Innovation

Guests Rob Hunter, Municipal Water District of Orange County, discusses the critical need for significant investment in water storage and the delicate balance of water for urban living, agriculture and the environment. Then guest, Jackson Madnick of Pearl's Premium Grass Seed Co., discusses turf innovations including a unique breed that utilizes very little water and grows roots to three feet!

Podcast recorded on May 6, 2021

A Day in the Life

Featured guest Mark Dalley, Director of Water Management for DLC Resources, describes his responsibilities in managing numerous HOA developments in Arizona. He also offers insight around how useful specialized training in the latest smart irrigation products and water management practices can be in significantly increasing water efficiency while maintaining beautiful curb appeal.

Podcast recorded on June 17, 2021

The Good Ol' Days

In a throwback to the early days of the Water Zone Radio Show, host Chris Davey welcomes back one of the show’s original hosts, Mike Baron, for a reprise at the microphone. In the episode, Chris and Mike take a retro look at how the industry has changed over the last 5 years through Mike’s new perspective as a ‘lay-person’. Topics include history, current and future prospects for water agency efficiency and outreach programs like rebates, turf removal, and native garden planting. The Mike and Rob also compare the 2015 drought, which was the shows impetus, and the possible drought affecting the southwest today.

Podcast recorded on July 15, 2021

Farner the Farmer (pretty much)

Special guest host John Farner, Industry Development Director for the Irrigation Association, takes a look inside the make-up of an irrigation system and the maintenance required to ensure the efficient use of water for landscapes.  In addition, guests Julius Duncan, EPA environmental engineer, and Debra Burden, Citrus County Department of Water Resources conservation manager, provide insight on the EPAs water conservation program, WaterSense, and how businesses and homeowners can benefit.

Podcast recorded on April 22, 2021

Staying in the Loop

Guest host and interviewer Travis Loop, producer of Water Loop podcast interviews Laura Paskus, author of "At the Precipice: New Mexico's Changing Climate” about the status of the Rio Grande River and the importance of the locals’ perspective on the state efforts to better control ground water use.

(Podcast recorded on April 8, 2021)

Filled House

The Water Zone hosts a full house of guests, including world renowned marine artist Wyland, Steve Creech, Wyland Foundation President, Dr. Patti Filino from Tuttle Elementary School, and Darren Gruner, Executive Producer of Turfs Up Radio. All were on hand to discuss the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation, celebrating its 10 year anniversary. Wyland described the motivation behind the creation of the annual event that has grown to over 3,600 city participants across the nation. Steve Creech provides details on various conservation activities the foundation produces every year for communities and schools. Dr. Filino addresses why her school was selected to host of the kick-off event for 2021 with local, county and state officials. Guest host Darren Gruner joins the conversation.

(Podcast recorded on April 1, 2021)

Water You Doing About It?

Reese Tisdale is the President of Bluefield Research, and specializes in analyzing data for the water and power industries. Reese discusses strategies for addressing water scarcity and the value of water in the future. He explores risks facing the water industry including terrorism and cyber security, and explains how different industries look at water for private and corporate opportunities.

(Podcast recorded on March 25, 2021)

The Taste of Water

Madelyn Glickfeld, Director of the UCLA Water Resources Group, discusses the UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability’s activities around safe and reliable drinking water, the types of contamination identified in Los Angeles County’s disadvantaged communities as well as rural communities in the Salinas Valley. She also shares her work examining the ability of the smaller disadvantaged Los Angeles County water systems to deliver affordable, safe and reliable water.

(Podcast recorded on March 18, 2021)

Kellogg Garden Organics

Kellogg Garden Organics Chairwoman, Kathy Kellogg Johnson, returns to expand on how important it is to have living soil that contains various biologic type amendments to replenish dead soil. She talks in depth about microbe activities, soil structures, ordinary versus synthetic soils and how living soil can help significantly reduce water use in our gardens and flowerbeds.

(Podcast recorded on March 4, 2021)

Levy n' Turf

Arizona Cardinals turf manager, Andy Levy, discusses field maintenance and preparation for practice and for game day. Andy describes the unique challenges and opportunities presented while managing State Farm Arena, a first of its kind retractable natural turf field in North America. He shares the arena’s roll-out field utilizes an irrigation system incorporated within itself and details the specialized care and preparation that goes into this exceptional sports facility.

(Podcast recorded on February 25, 2021)

Growin' with Scott Bowen

Featured guest Scott Bowen, Director of Water Management for Outdoor Systems Management, discusses his involvement in designing, installing and maintaining many prominent PGA golf courses and Major League Baseball sports complexes. Scott addresses how precision irrigation maintenance plays an extremely important role in preparing fields before play and the types of soils, grasses and other irrigation components that are utilized to enhance the action on the field.

(Podcast recorded on February 18, 2021)

Whitcher the Fixer

Brian Whitcher, District Sales Manager for The Toro Company shares the ways that technology has become a driving force in the development of water efficient irrigation products. He discusses the critical impact that landscape contractors, irrigation distributors and end users’ have on the adoption and application of new smart irrigation products and explores the unique irrigation needs in one of his largest territories.

(Podcast recorded on February 11, 2021)

Mr. Chick

Featured guest, Greg Chick, an author, landscape contractor, teacher, certified irrigation auditor and successful plumber, discusses his book All About Water: As Told By The Plumber Who’s Seen It All. Greg explores the need for a deeper understanding of water conservation among consumers and how water systems really work.

(Podcast recorded on February 3, 2021)

The Water Notebook

Featured guest Chris Austin, purveyor of Maven's Notebook, a California water blog discusses how a water war on the King's River could alter the valley as we know it. Austin also shares that 1.6 million California households are facing water shutoffs due to COVID-19 and how this serious public concern is being addressed. Finally, Austin sheds light on how atmospheric rivers bringing fierce rain storms are impacting the west.

(Podcast recorded on January 28, 2021)

Filled House

Featured guests: Mary Eggert, Executive Director of Global Water Works, Gary Wong, Principal of Global Water Industry at OsiSoft, and Mariyana Spyropoulos, District Commissioner Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Our guests discuss the future of water and approaches to help communities accelerate resilience against floods, natural disasters and climate change.

(Podcast recorded on January 14, 2021)

Soil is Life

Featured guest Kathy Kellogg Johnson, Chairwoman of Kellogg Garden Products discusses rebuilding the earth with organic soil. Johnson describes how soil contains life and that re-energizing soil helps the earth reduce dangerous methane and increase the agriculture production.

(Podcast recorded on January 8, 2021)