Watershed bridges and watershed divides: An examination of the watershed based approach in water resource management.

摘要

This thesis examines the issues related to watershed size (scale) with respect to the application of the watershed based approach to water resource management. The examination includes: a brief historical review of water resource and watershed based management in the United States, a discussion of the challenges faced in implementing watershed based management, a review of select opportunities to improve watershed based management, and finally a focused examination of challenges and opportunities as they relate to watershed scale. The thesis contends that the scale at which a watershed management effort is being undertaken is of paramount importance. Scale will affect the characterization of natural process, relative importance of various social dynamics and the overriding political context. These factors impact both the problem definition, which forms the basis of the management activity, as well influencing as the feasibility of the resulting management recommendations.