A Cooperative Extension center and a research unit in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the WRRC is the designated state water resources research center established under the 1964 Federal Water Resources Research Act.

The WRRC conducts water policy research and analysis, and its information transfer activities include publications, conferences, lectures, and seminars. Water news and information are provided to the academic community, water professionals, elected and appointed officials, students and the public.

The WRRC is one of five University of Arizona water centers responsible for implementing the Water Sustainability Program, a component of the Water, Energy and Environmental Solutions (WEES), which receives funding from The University of Arizona’s Technology and Research Initiative Fund (TRIF).

The year 2024 is the 60^th anniversary of the Water Resources Research Center

We’re celebrating! The year 2024 is the 60^th anniversary of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona. Ten years have passed since we celebrated the 50^th anniversary with a special edition of the Arizona Water Resource (AWR) newsletter. In those ten years we have continued to produce our well-regarded annual conferences and Arroyo publications, as documented in our Annual Reports. The bi-monthly AWR is no more, superseded by the Weekly Wave e-newsletter with a growing subscription list now containing 3700 subscribers. Under the continuing leadership of Dr. Sharon B. Megdal, the WRRC weathered the COVID pandemic by operating remotely, including the presentation of virtual seminars and conferences. In fact, our seminars were more popular than ever before. Since reopening, we are again hosting in-person events, including our annual Chocolate Fest, adding an online component whenever appropriate. We also have a new website look and functionality. Please see what we have been doing recently by clicking on the Programs tab.

The National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR)

Water issues affect the United States in important ways. The National Institutes for Water Resources (NIWR) plays a major role in addressing the unique water-related concerns of the individual states and the nation as a whole by providing a national platform for collaboration. A Water Resources Research Institute is located in each State, the District of Columbia, and the US Territories of the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam, for a total of 54 institutes.  The NIWR network represents the only authorized federal-state program focused on applied water resources research, education, training, and outreach. The WRRC is Arizona's water institute.