Water in the West

About Us

Stanford University established Water in the West in 2010 to address the West’s growing water crisis and to create new solutions that move the region toward a more sustainable water future.

A joint program of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and the Bill Lane Center for the American West, Water in the West marshals the resources of one of the world’s preeminent research institutions to address one of the most urgent questions about the West’s future—how can the region continue to thrive despite growing water scarcity?

The American West is an arid region to begin with; explosive growth and increased drought are creating a water crisis. Research can help solve this crisis, but research alone is not enough. Water in the West bridges the gap between academic research and applied solutions by creating new practical tools and forming strong partnerships to inform policy makers, water managers, businesses and environmental groups. 

Across Stanford’s departments, Water in the West focuses on meeting these needs with practical, timely and relevant solutions that shape policy and support water managers. Water in the West is guided by a Theory of Change with four key elements: 

• Create innovations that solve water scarcity problems through research in policy, management, and technology. 
• Engage Stanford students in creating water management solutions, addressing water scarcity today and educating the next generation of leaders. 
• Use communications to advance new ideas and create tools for sharing research in ways that respond to water shortages and are useful for water managers, policy makers and partner organizations. 
• Build strong partnerships to inform policy makers, water managers and NGOs, providing a direct path for disseminating new solutions and technologies.

Fact Sheet: Water in the West