The Lost Rider Podcast with Herman Brune

The Lost Rider Podcast featuring Aaron Weishuhn

This episode of The Lost Rider Podcast features host Herman Brune sitting down with Aaron Weishuhn, the manager of the Colorado County Groundwater Conservation District (GCD). The two discuss the pressing realities of water management, local conservation efforts, and the political and environmental battles over Texas water resources.

Key Topics Discussed:

• History of the GCD: The Colorado County GCD was established around 2009 to ensure local citizens maintained a voice in their water management, rather than ceding complete control to state mandates.

• Current Drought Conditions: Colorado County has been operating under a drought warning since March following a dry fall and winter, marking the first step toward potential mandatory water cutbacks.

• Permitted Water Users: If drought conditions worsen, mandatory cutbacks would primarily affect permitted users with large-scale operations, such as high-production agricultural irrigation and major commercial wells, rather than exempt domestic or livestock wells.

• Aquifer Recharge and Dynamics: The conversation details the three layers of the Gulf Coast Aquifer system—the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers—and how the Colorado River interacts with these groundwater sources depending on the region.

• Proposed LCRA Reservoir: A major point of concern is the Lower Colorado River Authority's (LCRA) proposed off-channel reservoir in Colorado County, which includes a conceptual transmission pipeline designed to transport surplus water back to Austin and Travis County.

• Environmental and Economic Concerns: Weishuhn outlines the potential negative impacts of the LCRA project, including the removal of water from the local ecosystem, the threat to the Matagorda Bay system, and the risk of devaluing local property and tax bases.

• Shifting Stream Behaviors: The episode highlights a concerning ecological shift where local creeks and streams, which historically gained water from natural springs and aquifers, are now losing water into the depleted aquifers.

Dana Tassa is the representative for Women Hunt at Derek York's Podcast Summit. She is from Vancouver, British Columbia, and this is her first trip to Texas.  Dana elaborates how the Women Hunt organization is an off-shoot of the Wild Sheep Foundation, how she found the group, and what she does for them on social media. We learn a little of her background and gain insights into how Women Hunt help ladies find and enjoy the outdoors. 

"Heroes on the Water" is an organization helping veterans and first responders heal. Camille Knowles tells us that putting folks in a kayak and sending them fishing has undeniable health benefits. The non-profit provides the experience and opportunity that aides people accustomed to the most stressful jobs to relax. "Often our participants come to us quiet and reserved. By the end of a weekend they have loosened up and are having fun."

The GOP candidate for HD85 joins us to discuss the Austin Swamp. With the odds, being $2M in lobbyist money, stacked against him, Dennis "Goose" Geeseman unseated the two-term incumbent with a landslide 15-point win. Geeseman knows he's bucking the Austin establishment and jokes that he'll get an office in the basement at the end of the hall. He only hopes that he gets put on a committee. In this interview we discuss the Austin machine losing Public Trust, who he prefers as the Speaker of the House, the push to eliminate property taxes, term limits, elected positions on the LCRA Board, possible selenium problems at the LCRA power plant, and knowing when to say "NO" to budget items. 

Martha Spencer's first career choice was broadcast media. She worked her way up through the ranks to becoming the meteorologist at the ABC affiliate in New Orleans. However, she decided to change careers. Cajun Adventures suited her better and she became an offshore deep-water fishing guide. She loves the deep-water but ultimately moved to guiding the bays along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Much of her interview is about how to fish, know the moon phases, and watching tides. She also discusses the variables of bay guiding versus off shore guiding. Martha says deep water guiding is a young person's business. There are less days to guide, a smaller profit margin, and it's harder on you physically. Nevertheless, it's obvious she still likes the big water as she says that on a good day a person can sneak from the bays to fish a little offshore.