Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006OR75B

Building Capacity to Manage Conflict and Change through Oregons Water Governance Structures

Institute: Oregon
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-02-15 End Date: 2007-02-14
Total Federal Funds: $14,395 Total Non-Federal Funds: $45,830

Principal Investigators: Denise Lach, Aaron Wolf

Abstract: Competing interests and values in water management have created contentious situations that traditional water governance structures have increasingly found difficult to resolve. Oregon has been a leader in developing innovative, place-based structures to complement the agencies and institutions responsible for water resources management. The proposed project is designed to (1) capture lessons learned by the many experiments and projects currently underway in Oregon that forge local partnerships in managing water conflicts and restoring water quality and watershed health; (2) create a module-based curriculum that can be taught as a graduate course to supplement the Professional Certificate in Water Conflict Prevention and Resolution or as stand-alone training modules for local and regional groups as appropriate; and (3) leverage a similar project in New Mexico to build a conceptual model describing the capacities and resources needed by local governance structures to develop stable solutions for local water problems. In the short term, results of this project will enhance existing capacity of water professionals and community members to resolve water conflicts. In the long term, the project will provide the skills and opportunities for participants to become effective partners in shaping a sustainable future for Oregon's water resources and watersheds through enhancing its water governance structures.