From Power to Legitimacy—Explaining Historical and Contemporary Water Conflict at Yesa Reservoir (Spain) and Gross Reservoir (USA) Using Path Dependency

Laura Turley

doi:10.3390/su13169305

Abstract

Conflict over new dams and reservoirs is well-studied, but less is known about controversies over the reoperation of existing water infrastructure. This paper presents two cases of reoperation that have been embroiled in conflict: the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project in Colorado, United States, and the Yesa Reservoir Regrowth project in Aragon and Navarra, Spain. A historical analysis of each of the cases relies on process tracing, reaching back to their construction in the 1950s up to present day, and a cross-case comparison distills findings on the causes of historical and contemporary conflict. The paper adds empirical evidence to the phenomenon of path dependency, and argues that a transition of the dominant mechanism of institutional reproduction occurs in the cases—from power to legitimacy—which in turn informs us about the historical and present-day conflicts. We find that through the contemporary reoperation, water service providers are experiencing a legitimacy crisis related to the quickly-evolving values of water users, and their access to competing sources of knowledge and expertise.

Highlights

Controversy surrounding the construction of new dams and reservoirs is almost ubiquitous, culminating at the end of the 20th century in multilateral efforts to improve their planning and construction [1], though many contentious issues remain in the 21st century “dam resurgence era” [2,3]
When the balance of power is challenged, which could in theory lead to institutional change [15,38], we suggest that a legitimation mechanism of institutional reproduction emerges and serves to maintain the status quo, as institutions and the actors they support are advanced on the basis of their appropriateness for dealing with water supply challenges (Hypothesis 2)
Through a historical and comparative approach, and using the concept of path dependency, we provide insights into both historical and present-day controversies, and connect them in a causal story that evolves over many decades

Summary

Introduction

Controversy surrounding the construction of new dams and reservoirs is almost ubiquitous, culminating at the end of the 20th century in multilateral efforts to improve their planning and construction [1], though many contentious issues remain in the 21st century “dam resurgence era” [2,3] It is the development of new infrastructure that can become embroiled in conflict, as this paper draws attention to, and the reoperation of existing dams and reservoirs. These questions lend themselves to a historical approach, which is valuable for understanding complex social phenomena, and for testing theory on processes that unfold over time [6] It is ripe territory for understanding the persistence of institutions through the analytical lens of path dependency, and its causal role in contemporary water allocation conflict. This paper brings attention to the role of legitimacy in maintaining the institutional status quo and leading to conflict, as actors call into question the appropriateness of established institutions for determining and allocating water, which are increasingly in juxtaposition to changing values held by key user groups

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion