What Water Wants: A Conversation with Erica Gies

In our latest Meaningful Conversations podcast episode, I had the deep pleasure of speaking with Erica Gies, award-winning journalist and author of Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge. This conversation left me both grounded and inspired — Erica brings not only science, but also soul, to the way we think about water.

At the heart of Erica’s work is the Slow Water movement — a powerful shift in how we manage water by working with it rather than trying to control or rush it. Her approach is rooted in ecology, Indigenous wisdom, and a deep understanding of the natural systems we’ve so often overlooked in our attempts to engineer the landscape.

Erica drew the Majestic card ( during our conversation, and it set the tone beautifully. She spoke about how water is not just physically vital, but emotionally sacred. We begin our lives in water; we are mostly water. In many cultures, water is not a commodity — it’s a relative. A friend. Something to be honoured.

The Case for Slowing Water Down

Much of our modern water infrastructure is designed to move water quickly off the land — to hustle it into pipes, rivers, and out to sea. But this has come at a high cost. 

By restoring slow phases of water — letting it seep into soil, meander through wetlands, and flood safely into natural plains — we can heal ecosystems, reduce flooding and drought, and stabilize the climate. As Erica says, “A healthy water cycle is a climate stabilizer. An unhealthy one amplifies the impacts of excess CO₂.”

Shifting Systems and Cultural Change

One of the most surprising and hopeful examples Erica shared comes from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which adopted an Engineering with Nature initiative in 2010. This policy now requires them to consider nature-based solutions alongside traditional infrastructure — and to weigh environmental and social benefits alongside economic ones. When institutions like this begin to change, it signals a broader cultural shift that has the potential to influence the entire system.

Erica also highlighted the often unsung heroes of this movement — many of whom are women scientists working on the cutting edge of climate, ecology, and hydrology. These “water detectives” are not afraid to challenge norms, follow curiosity, and embrace being wrong. It’s a powerful reminder that slowing down our thinking can lead to more creative, more compassionate solutions.

So, What Does Water Want?

Erica believes water wants exactly what many of us want: time, space, connection. Water wants to return to its slow phases — and when we allow that, we begin to heal our landscapes and ourselves.

“We are inextricably linked to the health of water,” she says. “And doesn’t it feel better when we slow down?”

This conversation left me more curious about my own environment — how water behaves here, what it’s trying to tell us, and how we can improve relationship with it. I hope it does the same for you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here
📘 Learn more about Erica’s book: Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge

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