The role of stakeholders' perceptions in addressing water quality disputes in an embattled watershed

Abstract

Summary and Conclusion A preliminary review of the collected data suggests that, opinions vary widely between the two stakeholder groups regarding the quality of the water and the sources of water pollution within the watershed. Non-agricultural stakeholders were not very satisfied with the quality of the water bodies in the watershed and most often pointed to agriculture as a large contributor to water quality issues in the watershed. Very few agricultural producers felt that way. In general agricultural stakeholders felt the quality of the water in the watershed was good and acceptable for many uses; if problems do exist in the watershed, new construction, industry and others were to blame. While these results are expected, survey data also provide insights regarding best management practice adoption and stakeholders perceptions of their effectiveness that were heretofore unsubstantiated. Collecting information regarding water quality perceptions from different watershed stakeholders and BMP use is also critical for modeling and predicting water quality more accurately. Involving all types of watershed stakeholders from the planning stage to the implementation stage is important to promote cooperation among stakeholders, policy makers and regulators. In addition, it helps researchers to understand the adoption of certain BMPs as well as to understand the challenges and limitations faced by different groups. It is hoped that these results help identify the research educational needs within the watershed that will help guide the development of a water quality management plan that is acceptable to different types of stakeholders within the Lincoln Lake Watershed and that the methods and tools developed here can be applied across the nation where effective water quality management is a challenge in embattled watersheds impacted by excess application of animal manure.