“While conceptually sound, most of these attempts at water management have been failures. The reason

Watershed Planning and ManagementToward a Report Card for Cayuga LakeLinda P. Wagenet, Ph.D.Development SociologyCornell UniversityMarch 2008Watersheds as socially-defined systemsDoes a watershed represent an ecosystem?Is a watershed a useful metaphor for an ecosystem?Source: USACE 1950Managing resources on a watershed basis…“While conceptually sound, most of these attempts at water management have been failures. The reason is that society is not organized around hydrological boundaries…In considering the best spatial arrangements for water policy, we should remind ourselves of the fact that regions do not have ‘truth’—they only have utility…If so, there is an urgent need to define water regions as something other than river basins. Problem-sheds are what we have in mind.” (Foster and Rogers 1988)Stakeholder Involvement -Overview• Lack of public input in the planning process leads to barriers to successful environmental management • Involvement works well at the local level with an ongoing process of community participation and collective learning (NRC 1999) Public ParticipationIntermunicipal OrganizationEducationFact Finding & TechnicalWatershed Management PlanCayuga Lake WatershedRestoration and Protection Plan• Initial conversations – late 1990s• NYS DOS funding– Three year process– Town of Ledyard municipal partner– Develop a management plan– “Assessment of current socio-economic and ecological conditions of the ...