In this episode, Michael and Daniel sit down with water expert Dr. Charles Porter to discuss water rights, land ownership, and the impacts large-scale industrial projects can have on rural communities.

The conversation covers how water rights work in Texas, what many landowners don’t realize about the water tied to their property, how water rights differ from mineral rights, and what can happen when high-demand industrial users enter rural areas.

We also discuss regulatory gaps, limitations on local control, and what communities and landowners should understand before major development decisions are made.

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Topics Discussed

  • How water rights work in Texas (plain-language overview)
  • What landowners often misunderstand about water tied to property
  • Water rights vs. mineral rights
  • Selling or severing water rights and why it matters
  • Shared aquifers and competing demand
  • What changes when large industrial water users move into rural areas
  • Practical questions landowners and communities should ask

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Full podcast links available at: https://www.knowleoncounty.org