We live in an era of weather extremes, and water, which shapes landscapes and enables life, is increasingly a resource in want or excess in California and in the United States.

The American Southwest is experiencing extended drought, perhaps greater than experienced in more than a millennium, brought on by changes in precipitation patterns and extreme heat events, diminished streamflows and reservoir levels, and depletion of groundwater resources. The lower basin of the Colorado River watershed, a major supplier of urban water to Southern California and the agricultural sector of large parts of the southwest, is ground zero for the impact of climate change in the U.S.

Extreme precipitation events interrupt extended periods of drought, creating "whiplash" climate that contributes to flooding; intensifies fire behavior, landscape erosion and mass wasting; and impacts the health of ecosystems on land and in the oceans.

Each of these realities shows the need to expand our understanding of climate and hydrologic extremes and their impact on water and ecosystem resources, as well as how we can apply this knowledge to improve water management strategies, define new policy, and maximize our resilience to unprecedented drought and precipitation events in a changing world.

The UC Davis Institute of the Environment brings together the knowledge of UC Davis biologists, environmental scientists, geologists, engineers, economists, legal scholars, tribal partners, agencies, conservation groups, and others to help understand and solve California's complex weather and water issues. We are particularly focused on those related to drought’s effects on California agriculture, native biodiversity, water policy and management, and water economics – everything from the economic consequences of drought to the downstream impacts of water-saving devices.

The insightful commentary and research findings posted on The California WaterBlog also showcase the transdisciplinary and policy-relevant approaches to water science undertaken by researchers at the Center for Watershed Sciences, housed at the Institute of the Environment.

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