Why the California Water Modeling Forum Exists

California’s water challenges are complex, involving competing demands from cities, agriculture, ecosystems, and recreation. As water management decisions increasingly relied on computer-based analysis, water modeling in California became essential to policy, planning, and regulatory processes.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, advances in computing made it possible to build sophisticated water and environmental models. However, different agencies and stakeholders often relied on different models, assumptions, and data. When results conflicted, technical disagreements frequently became adversarial, especially in regulatory and water rights proceedings.

Many professionals recognized that better models alone were not enough. What was needed was a trusted, neutral forum where experts could discuss how models were developed, applied, and interpreted. That need led to the creation of the California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum (CWEMF).

From Bay-Delta Modeling to a Statewide Water and Environmental Forum

CWEMF was founded in 1994 as the Bay-Delta Modeling Forum (Forum), with a clear mission: to increase the usefulness of models for analyzing California’s water and environment-related problems.

From the beginning, the Forum was intentionally non-adversarial. It brought together modelers, scientists, regulators, consultants, and academics to improve technical understanding, promote transparency, and reduce duplicate effort across institutions.

As modeling challenges expanded beyond the Bay-Delta, the organization’s role grew. In 2004, the Forum adopted its current name, the California Water and Environmental Modeling Forum, to reflect a broader statewide focus on water and environmental modeling.

What CWEMF Does Today

Today, CWEMF serves as a leading water modeling professional organization supporting collaboration, learning, and technical excellence across California’s water community.

Technical Workshops for Water and Environmental Modeling

CWEMF organizes educational and hands-on training workshops covering topics such as surface water and groundwater modeling, water quality, climate impacts, ecosystem analysis, and decision-support tools. These water modeling workshops in California help practitioners stay current with evolving methods while building shared understanding across disciplines.

Peer Review and Best Practices in Water Modeling

CWEMF facilitates independent, impartial peer review of water models in California. These reviews document strengths and limitations, suggest improvements, and clarify appropriate applications, helping decision-makers use models with greater confidence.

CWEMF also publishes professional guidance, including its Protocols for Water and Environmental Modeling, which outline best practices for water modeling, from model development and documentation to communication of results.

Building a Professional Water Modeling Community

Through annual meetings and ongoing activities, CWEMF provides a collaborative space for professionals to share innovations, discuss emerging challenges, and learn from one another. This exchange strengthens the water modeling community in California and supports constructive dialogue across organizational boundaries.

A Volunteer-Driven Organization Supporting California Water Management

CWEMF is sustained by the active involvement of volunteers from government agencies, consulting firms, universities, and non-profit organizations. This volunteer-driven structure helps ensure that CWEMF remains independent, responsive, and focused on improving water resource modeling in support of California water management.

Thirty Years of Improving Water and Environmental Modeling

For more than three decades, CWEMF has helped raise the standard of water and environmental modeling for water management by promoting transparency, technical rigor, and open dialogue. By providing a neutral forum focused on learning rather than advocacy, CWEMF supports better science and more informed decision-making.

As California faces ongoing challenges related to climate change, water scarcity, and ecosystem protection, CWEMF continues to adapt while staying true to its founding purpose.

The history of the California Water Modeling Forum reflects a principle that remains just as relevant today as it was in 1994: better conversations about models lead to better outcomes for California’s water future.

To read more about the full history of CWEMF, click here.