The Agassiz Centre for Water Studies was established in 1968 to assist and coordinate the interdisciplinary study of water resources and utilization in western Canada. Colloquia and seminars were sponsored in cooperation with the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources. In 1969 the Centre's administration was reorganized and steering, publications and conference committees were formed. By 1972 research topics and programs began to range widely - so much so that some were considered peripheral to the main thrust for the Centre's existence. As a result, the Centre's terms of reference were revised and tightened. By 1975 the Centre was working on the last year of a five-year grant from the Inland Water Directorate of the Department of the Environment and was having difficulty getting approvals for research projects that were deemed not a priority by the department. A proposal was put forward to radically alter the internal structure and research direction of the Centre. However, by this time, the Centre was no longer considered a viable enterprise and it began an orderly wind-down of its ongoing research. The Centre effectively terminated operations on December 31, 1976.