Water Quality, Quantity and Security
Our Strategic Initiatives (SI) help unify, communicate and advocate for the work we do.
Focal Areas

Water is the life blood of California's economy and the underpinning of its diverse ecosystems. As such, water supply and quality are critical issues facing the state's agricultural, urban, and environmental settings now and in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, the initiative works in the key areas of:
- Safe & secure drinking water
- Safe & secure surface water
- Safe & sustainable groundwater
- Holistic water management
Grand Challenges
The Water SI supports a broad spectrum of expertise and uses a systems approach to identify and address emerging issues including:
- Conservation and enhancement strategies to bolster water resources and meet increasing agricultural, urban, and ecosystem water demands
- Sustainable farm, urban, and natural resource management practices to protect soil and water quality from salinity, sediment, pathogens, excess nutrients, trace elements, and other contaminants
- Quantifying the impacts of climate change on California’s precious water resources and consequent impacts on agriculture, urban, and ecosystems, while seeking ways to make these sectors more resilient to climate related risks
Download the Water Quality, Quantity and Security Strategic Plan (Updated April 2016) >>
Impact
See UC Delivers for examples of impact in the Water SI.
UC ANR members can share the impact of their work - it's easy. Click here to find out how.
Funding
See funding opportunities listed with UC ANR Contracts & Grants
See Opportunity & Matching grants (small grants to help with urgent time-sensitive needs)
Water Topics
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Highlighting the gap between policy design and policy implementation
Linda Estelí Méndez Barrientos is a PhD candidate in Ecology at UC Davis, where she works within the Center for...
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Fire and water: Researching debris flows to mitigate post fire storm hazards
Destructive debris flows, commonly known as mudslides, have affected many parts of California in the past few years. Debris flows can cause...
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Bottled water sales track community response to water contamination
Drinking water contamination is an ongoing issue across the United States. However, tracking water quality violations and notifying residents about...