| Multiple stakeholders, competing interests, incomplete information, complexity, and uncertainty plague water management; a major challenge is the identification of methods appropriate for navigating the management process. New approaches, such as adaptive collaborative management, are being used increasingly around the globe. Oregon provides a natural laboratory for investigating some of these new approaches, due to its well-established history of institutionalizing the use of collaboration to manage resources.;This research utilizes both quantitative and qualitative research methods to examine stakeholder perspectives, state policies, and regional partnerships in water management in Oregon. Three separate yet related research designs were used to address these topics. A structured, quantitative, free listing interview technique was used to examine perceptions of individual stakeholders participating in water management groups, and their framing of watershed systems. A qualitative, ethnographic case study approach, using secondary data analysis, participant observation, and unstructured interviews with key informants, was applied to investigate state policies. Lastly, a comparative case study sought to uncover the secrets to the success of public-private partnerships built around collaborative management efforts at the basin scale. Theoretical perspectives from framing theory, cultural domain analysis, adaptive co-management, collaborative governance, and social learning guided and informed this research.;Results demonstrate that individuals working in water management have very unique perspectives with regard to what constitutes a watershed, though they do agree that people are a critical component. An analysis of Oregon's progressive policies and institutions surrounding collaborative water management demonstrates that through policy changes and the adaptation of existing institutions, along with the creation of new ones, challenges can be overcome. Finally, the success of basin-wide partnerships appears to be related to employing techniques like niche creation and mutualism, to establish diverse yet complementary, as opposed to competitive roles, to collaborate more effectively. |
