California Water Institute (CWI)

People and Places: Unlocking the Central Valley's Potential in California's Climate Future
2025-02-26 13:00 - 2025-02-27 16:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | California
The California Water Institute invites you to join the Eleventh Annual Eccles Family Rural West Conference, hosted by Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West

Theme: People and Places: Unlocking the Central Valley’s Potential in California’s Climate Change

Dates: February 26th and 27th, 2025

Location: held at the Linda and Stewart Resnick Student Union, located on Fresno State’s campus.

This conference will examine the Central Valley’s critical challenges and opportunities as it sits at the nexus of environmental sustainability and economic resilience.

Agenda Highlights Include:

Insights from President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval of Fresno State and other renowned leaders.

Expert panels addressing agriculture, energy, and water resources in the context of climate action.

Opportunities to connect with academics, practitioners, and policymakers shaping the future of the rural West.

For program details and updates, please visit the event website hosted by Stanford University’s Bill Lane Center for the American West.

Registration

World Water Day Open House
2025-03-21 11:00 - 13:00 | California
In collaboration with Fresno State’s Civil Engineering department and Earth and Environmental Sciences department , the California Water Institute will be hosting a community event for World Water Day.

The Fresno community can take part in World Water Day through hands-on activities, networking with engineering industry professionals, and more.

Date: Friday, March 21 Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Location: Jordan Agricultural Research Center

Registration

Water Awareness Month- Water Bootcamp
2025-05-02 09:00 - 2025-05-30 11:00 | California
Mark your calendars, May is Water Awareness Month and the California Water Institute (CWI) – Research and Education Division at Fresno State is set to host its annual Water Bootcamp, a virtual series aimed at educating people about the complex water system in California.

Each day is made up of multiple 20-30 minute sessions with a Q&A portion after each. Participants can choose to attend as many sessions as interest them. Three of the Water Bootcamp days, May 2nd, 9th and 16th, will be held in English with May 30th being in Spanish.

Dates: May 2nd, 9th, 16th and 30th 9am-11am

Register

Agenda

CWI Water Book Club - Virtual
2025-09-17 12:00 - 2025-11-12 12:50 | California
Science Be Dammed: How Ignoring Inconvenient Science Drained the Colorado River by Eric Kuhn and John Fleck

Where water meets literature—join us as we uncover the narratives shaping our water future.

Date: Wednesdays in September- September 17th to November 12th over ZoomTime: 12-12:50pm

Register

Amazon

CWI's 25th Anniversary Celebration
2025-10-24 16:30 - 18:30 | California
Sponsorship OpportunitiesLegacy Sponsor – $1,000Public recognition during the 25th Anniversary Celebration event.Company name and logo in digital program and invitations.Featured sponsor spotlight on CWI social media (dedicated post).Logo & name prominently displayed in printed program.Featured mention in CWI newsletter & websiteInclusion in press releases and media outreach (where applicable).

Sustaining Sponsor – $500Mention in CWI social media sponsor spotlight (grouped post).Company name and logo in printed program.Mention in CWI newsletter & websiteRecognition from the podium by the event MC.

Community Sponsor – $250Inclusion in CWI social media sponsor thank-you post (group).Name listed in printed program.Mention in CWI newsletter & website.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Laura Ramos at lramos@mail.fresnostate.edu

Turning Floods into Future Water Groundwater Recharge: Planning, Design, and Implementation for Landowners
2026-02-10 11:00 - 11:55 | International Agri-Center, 4500 S Laspina St, Tulare, California, 93274, United States
This one-hour introductory seminar provides landowners with a comprehensive overview of groundwater recharge infrastructure and its role in water management. Participants will learn the fundamentals of recharge planning, key geological and site considerations, and water quality implications. The session covers practical design principles for recharge basins, including earthwork and grading requirements, and explains the conveyance systems needed to deliver water to recharge facilities. Attendees will also gain insight into the construction process, from bidding and contractor selection through construction management, and will understand the essential operational and maintenance requirements for keeping recharge systems functioning effectively long-term.

Turning Floods into Future Water Groundwater Recharge Methods: Exploring Your Options
2026-02-11 14:00 - 14:55 | International Agri-Center, 4500 S Laspina St, Tulare, California, 93274, United States
Join us for this one-hour session to learn how and when floodwater can be used for groundwater recharge to protect crops, sustain groundwater, and strengthen the long-term resilience of local agriculture.

This introductory seminar explores the range of groundwater recharge technologies available to landowners and water managers. Participants will learn the characteristics, advantages, and considerations of five primary recharge methods: flood-managed aquifer recharge (FloodMAR), which uses seasonal flood flows to replenish groundwater; traditional recharge basins, which collect and infiltrate surface water through shallow excavated areas; injection wells, which deliver water directly into aquifers at depth; subsurface recharge systems, which allow water to infiltrate through permeable layers without surface ponds; and dry wells, which rapidly channel water into deeper formations.

The session will help attendees understand which recharge methods are best suited to different site conditions, water availability, and management objectives, equipping them to evaluate options for their specific properties and water security needs.

San Joaquin Valley Water Resilience Summit: From Reports to Results
2026-05-20 00:00 - 2026-05-21 23:59 | Lynda and Stewart Resnick Student Union, Fresno State, 5244 North Jackson Avenue, Fresno, California, 93704, United States
The San Joaquin Valley’s water systems are deeply interconnected. Climate volatility, groundwater sustainability requirements, infrastructure constraints, and land transitions are reshaping how surface water, groundwater, flood management, and conveyance systems interact and are accelerating system stresses.

Decisions made in the next five years will shape the Valley’s trajectory for decades.

Recent Department of Water Resources studies, together with the Unified Water Plan, provide new system-level insight into how these interdependencies are evolving.

Individually, these reports inform. Together, they reveal a need for alignment.

This Summit is designed to move from study to strategy and from strategy to commitment.
