The nation's ability to provide sufficient quantities of high-quality water to satisfy growing demands is increasingly being challenged by changes in demographics and priorities. Increasing water scarcity in the face of competing demands for water among urban, industrial, agricultural, and environmental sectors will necessitate proactive and innovative scientific, technological, and institutional solutions. Regionally, Southern California has experienced rapid population increase and urban development in recent decades. Diminishing water supply and degrading quality have sharpened the conflicting demands for water for domestic/industrial use, for irrigated agriculture, and for ecosystem functioning and habitat maintenance, making water a critical limiting resource for economic development. UCR has assembled a critical mass of faculty within its new Water Quality and Policy Center to develop focused water-science research and teaching programs that advance and expand our knowledge base while simultaneously helping stakeholders to solve critical water management problems.