ABSTRACT
Building and maintaining partnerships is key to effective watershed management. Historically, the best watershed management efforts have been made through citizens’ organizations focused on identifying and solving local watershed problems. It has been emphasized in many forums that effective watershed management is not possible without partnerships and public participation and support. The history of grassroots support for the overall Clean Lakes Program can be attributed to local involvement and management over the direction and scope of the individual projects rather than traditional USACE water resource projects and USDA Small Watershed Program projects. Unfortunately, many government-sponsored watershed efforts have not always embraced this philosophy. Meaningful, effective, and positive environmental improvements require a watershed management plan and an organization with the support and resources to carry out the plan. Through a watershed partnership, different individuals and organizations come together to address concerns and interests. This chapter focuses on the organizational aspects of successful watershed management efforts.
