ABOUT MRWAC
CWRI’s Impact
Since 2023, CWRI has set a public target, built the partnerships to achieve it, and transparently publishes results about how that money delivers.
Collectively, these efforts put water back into California’s water system while improving its water quality, restoring ecosystems, and increasing climate resilience. The collective efforts deliver water and nature benefits while reducing material water risk to businesses.
Goal and Impact
One million acre-feet a year by 2030
of the one-million-acre-foot target delivered to date
73 billion gallons of water benefit
corporate-supported water stewardship projects across California
in corporate funding deployed
up 38% in a year
the deadline CWRI set itself
Progress to the 2030 target
Reported water quantity benefit in the San Joaquin and Sacramento basins
175,489 acre-feet reported, 2025 to date
About 86,585 Olympic pools, or 57.2 billion US gallons.
The level rises as new impact is reported.
Reported impact by year
| Year | Cubic meters | Acre-feet | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 215,859,322 | 175,000 | 99.72% |
| 2026 | 603,172 | 489 | 0.28% |
| Total | 216,462,494 | 175,489 | 100% |
2025 Impact
In 2025, CWRI strengthened its role as a convener and accelerator of corporate water stewardship in California. The number of corporate-supported water stewardship projects in the state increased from 54 to 70, total projected water benefits rose 18%, and corporate funding grew 38% to $24.5 million. Since 2022, the water benefits attributable to corporate investments in California have nearly doubled, from 15,000 acre-feet per year to 33,500.
During 2025 alone, CWRI helped facilitate 13 corporate contributions to four projects, ranging from agricultural irrigation modernization to schoolyard greening to watershed restoration. CWRI also cultivated a prioritized project pipeline for 2026 investments, initiated development of an LA28-aligned water portfolio, and began exploring innovative finance approaches to help scale private sector water investments.
In October 2025, CWRI convened its 3rd Annual California Water Resilience Forum, bringing together 100 leaders from business, government, and civil society to advance public-private partnerships and innovative finance pathways. Public-private alignment deepened through structured engagement with the California Department of Water Resources and continued dialogue with other key state agencies.
In 2025, the model began to scale: more projects, more funding, and a clearer line from corporate capital to water delivered.
Recognition · May 2026
CWRI receives the Distinction Award for Stewardship at the 2026 Global Water Awards
In May 2026, Global Water Intelligence recognized the California Water Resilience Initiative with a Distinction Award for Stewardship in the corporate water stewardship category of the 2026 Global Water Awards. The award honors outstanding innovation, sustainability, and impact in corporate water stewardship.
The recognition belongs to the companies, nonprofits, and public agencies working together through CWRI, and reflects the growth of a portfolio that, as of 2025, included 70 corporate-supported projects expected to deliver 554,000 acre-feet per year in total water benefits.
Read the announcement
Part of a Global Coalition
California’s place in the Water Resilience Coalition
CWRI is one of the Water Resilience Coalition’s basin collaboratives, where companies work together on proven, basin-level solutions. This collective action contributes to the Coalition’s broader goal of building water resilience in the world’s most water-stressed basins.
Photos: Carmel River, 2013, California DWR. Award photo: 2026 Global Water Awards.