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Our Mission & History

Solitude and duck pond; spring trees; reflections in water

Mission

The Water Center has a long-standing tradition of offering resources and support to researchers, educators, and decision makers throughout the state. The Code of Virginia explains that the Water Center exists.

For the purposes of developing, implementing and coordinating water and related land research programs in the Commonwealth and transferring the results of research and new technology to potential users.

Code of Virginia, 23-135.7:8

Our functions, powers, and duties have also been established by the Code of Virginia and include:

  • consulting with the General Assembly, federal, state and local agencies, nonprofit organizations, private industry and other potential users of research;
  • establishing and administering agreements with other universities of the Commonwealth to carry out research projects;
  • disseminating new information and research results;
  • facilitating the application and transfer of new technologies
  • being a liaison between Virginia and the federal research funding agencies as an advocate for Virginia’s water research needs;
  • encouraging the development of academic programs in water resources management in conjunction with the State Council on Higher Education.

Advisory Board

An advisory board provides feedback and guidance on Water Center activities. See our current list of members of the VWRRC Statewide Advisory Board here.

History

In 1964, a congressional act established a network of 54 water resource programs to be placed at land-grant universities across the nation. Virginia Tech was selected to house the Commonwealth’s water center in 1965 under the name “Virginia Water Resources Research Center” (“The Water Center”). The Water Center began operations with federal and state funding administered through the Virginia Tech’s Research Division, and was authorized by the Virginia General Assembly as a state agency in 1982.

The center annually receives a federal base grant for program administration and development from the U.S. Geological Survey, under the Department of the Interior. Combined with funding secured from project-specific contracts and grants, our center has been recognized as one of the nation’s outstanding water resources programs.

Read more detail on the history of the Virginia Water Resources Research Center and the legislation establishing the Center here.