The development of useful, scientifically-based climate information is vital to the successful implementation of new climate services; however, our understanding of how climate information does, or may, influence decision processes is currently quite limited. Over the past four years, the Climate Diagnostics Center has undertaken research to better understand current and potential future uses of climate information, particularly with respect to the vitally important and complex problem of managing scarce water resources in the Interior West. This review summarizes our findings in this area, including insights gained on current barriers to the uses of climate information, potential approaches to making climate information more useful, and the role of research on science-societal interactions in helping to guide future priorities for climate research and products development.