Whether due to climate change, drought, flooding, competing demands, or pollution, watersheds across the globe are under significant duress. To respond to these complex challenges, collaborative approaches to watershed governance have increasingly been adopted in the United States, but very few studies have yet to systematically assess their true effectiveness. This book addresses a significant gap in research by undertaking a comprehensive study of alternative, collaborative structures and whether these produce better water quality outcomes than traditional regulatory governance. Analyzing almost one quarter of US watersheds and examining both the revealed and perceived outcomes of watershed stakeholder collaboration, it is the first large-scale study on this topic. The insights the chapters provide will equip readers with a nuanced and generalizable understanding of the effectiveness of collaboration in natural resource management, which will be of great interest to researchers and practitioners in wide-ranging environmental and public policy roles.

‘This book is a fascinating read for those who research and work to improve our country’s watersheds. The book makes a huge contribution to the collaboration literature by offering tangible, systematic, data-driven examples and results that are difficult to find in the collective body of collaboration research. Multiple statistical approaches are used to analyze the data, which provides interesting and surprising findings. The authors build on these findings to offer actionable, useful, and achievable suggestions that will make a real difference to practitioners working in watershed management.’

Katrina Miller-Stevens - Colorado College

‘Adams, Fisk, and Morris offer one of the most comprehensive examinations of American watershed governance in the field today. Highlighting the importance and promise of collaborative arrangements that transcend traditional bureaucratic boundaries, the authors discuss the historical evolution of the field and present a path forward for improving water quality in the face of ongoing organizational, regulatory, and environmental challenges. This work will undoubtedly be of interest to environmental policy scholars, students studying the complexity of American water policy, and practitioners looking for innovative and dynamic solutions to produce better water quality outcomes for their communities.’

Martin Mayer - University of North Carolina at Pembroke

‘This book comes at just the right time in our political history. In an era when regulatory governance is under threat, it offers rich insights into how best to align more collaborative approaches with regulatory ones to address our nation's water quality challenges. It is a must-read for anyone who cares about the future of our country and the quality of the drinking water that will be available to our children, our children’s children, and all future generations of Americans.’

Andrea K. Gerlak - University of Arizona