Women have been the catalysts of many points of change through means of social and environmental justice and system reform. What does this look like when women work in these systems? What can be done to strive towards reshaping harmful experiences into bringing about more transformative change? This episode of Delta Flows discusses Women in Water, featuring Ashley Overhouse and Keiko Mertz regarding their ongoing policy work and experiences shared as women in this line of water and environmental work.

Learn more about Ashley’s work with Defenders of Wildlife as the Water Policy Advisor

for Defenders of Wildlife’s California Program.

Learn more about Keiko’s work with Friends of the River as their Policy Director.

Get Restore the Delta merch here!

This podcast is a production of Restore the Delta.

Host - Tony Gladney

Guests – Ashley Overhouse and Keiko Mertz

With Our Words Segment:

Tama Brisbane & Miniya Joy featuring Giovonni Tilley

Production Team:

Guest Coordination - MacKenzie Owens

Podcast Marketing - Ashley Castaneda & Mariah Looney

Podcast Producer & Editor - Leo Marquez

Executive Producer - Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla

As California endures its second year without a commercial salmon season, the toll on families, businesses, and the environment has become increasingly evident. Chinook salmon, a critical keystone species, are disappearing from our rivers, putting entire food webs and communities at risk. In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Artis, Executive Director of the Golden State Salmon Association, to examine the consequences of this closure. From economic losses to ecological disruptions, we explore how this absence is felt across California and what it means for the future. Can we restore balance, protect this iconic species, and bring back a healthy salmon fishery? Join us for an in-depth look at the complexities of salmon recovery and the hopes for a sustainable future in California’s rivers and oceans.

Tune in and learn about how the Delta smelt got tied up with Big Ag, California Water Wars, and national political divide. How have these widespread narratives affected the species as a whole and environmental justice communities in the region? What happens when scientific data goes into the wrong hands?

The Delta smelt, a small fish that is an indicator species for the Bay-Delta estuary and is in massive population decline, has faced media onslaught from conservative news outlets over the years, reframing how the fish is seen. This episode explores the controversies surrounding the Delta smelt with Dr. Caleb Scoville, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Tufts University.

Media Review of Right-Wing Narratives on the Delta smelt

Learn more about Dr. Caleb Scoville’s work here:

The Delta Smelt Controversy in Sociological Perspective

That Tiny, Tiny Little Fish

Visit his website or Google Scholar for more academic perspectives.

Get Restore the Delta merch here!

This podcast is a production of Restore the Delta.

Host - Tony Gladney

Guest - Dr. Caleb Scoville

With Our Words Segment:

Tama Brisbane & Miniya Joy featuring Giovonni Tilley

Production Team:

Guest Coordination - MacKenzie Owens

Podcast Marketing - Mariah Looney

Podcast Producer & Editor - Leo Marquez

Executive Producer - Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla