The California Water Institute (CWI) was founded to be a forum for unbiased, open, collaborative discussion, research and education on water-related issues benefiting the entire state and beyond. Today CWI’s mission is to engage the San Joaquin Valley, California, and the world with Fresno State’s Faculty, Staff, and Students to pursue sustainable water resource management solutions through outreach, research, and education.

MARCH 2000:  Voters approved Proposition 13, a $2 billion water bond measure.  Three-million dollars of start-up funds for the California Water Institute were included in a portion of the bond co-authored by then State Senator Jim Costa of Fresno and then State Assembly Member Mike Machado of Linden.  

OCTOBER 2000: Representatives of government, public organizations, and private industry – all with a vested interest in water use for agriculture, urban needs and the environment – created a shared vision and mission for the future of the California Water Institute that includes the following scope of activities:

• To carry out concise, comprehensive studies that will provide the direction for better future uses and conservation of the State’s waters.
• To promote practices that will enhance and preserve the State’s water resources and their quality.
• To serve as a center for research, education, planning, policy evaluation, and information transfer.
• To communicate the results of its research and studies with the residents of California.
• To collaborate with agencies and institutions in California to seek a positive resolution to the State’s complex water problems.
• Present workshops and symposia.
• Maintain a collection of pertinent information.
• Provide objective, third-party review of water issues.

2015: Fresno State President Castro created the Water Task Force to provide recommendations about CWI leadership and direction, which recommended, among other actions, Fresno State create an Associate Vice-President position to organize everything water at the Fresno State campus using the California Water Institute staff and resources. 

TODAY,  the California Water Institute is directed by Interim Director Cordie Qualle, who ensures that the organization remains true to its original charge but also grows as a one-stop-shop for water research, education, and services at Fresno State.

Biographies about the California Water Institute’s staff can be viewed here.