About c-win

Our Origin: The Founding Story.

The California Water Impact Network, C-WIN, was founded in 2001 by Carolee Krieger, Dorothy Green, Mike Jackson and Yvon Chouinard with the help of close colleagues and friends Arve Sjovold, Gerry Spence, and Hap Dunning.

After an infrastructure proposal to connect Santa Barbara to the State Water Project in 1991 was passed, concerning patterns within our statewide water management system were becoming increasingly apparent. From the consequences of paper water to the growing number of wells throughout the San Joaquin Valley being pumped dry, California was coming up against the fact that water is not an infinite resource. The disparities in access and disproportionate water distribution made it clear that the injustices occurring on a local level were a symptom of a much larger issue. Injustice and environmental harm were getting too hard to ignore.

Dismayed by the disempowerment of urban ratepayers and inadequate environmental protections for California’s freshwater ecosystems, Krieger, Green, Jackson, and Chouinard were moved to act. Fueled by their desire to right some wrongs and belief in their collective experience, C-WIN was born.

What began as a lawsuit to stop the Monterey Amendments in 1995 snowballed into the establishment of an organization pursuing accountability for and access to the water all Californians have a right to. A series of court cases defending water rights at different edges of California’s riparian web has brought us to where we are today. Over the years, C-WIN has fostered a community of like-minded colleagues and activists advocating for the equitable and sustainable use of California’s freshwater resources for all Californians. The determination of our supporters and the dedication of our staff for over 20 years is creating a brighter future for water in California. But there is still much work to be done.