Stakeholder Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project
Abstract
The Jordan Lake Stakeholder Project (JLSP) was a public participation project convened
by the NC Department of Water Quality (DWQ) in response to high levels of nutrients
found in Jordan Lake, a reservoir in the central piedmont of North Carolina. The
DWQ is a frequent convener of such time- and resource-intensive projects, yet lacks
methods for evaluating their successes and benefits. This project will give environmental
regulators guidance on the use of collaborative processes in watershed management.
I evaluated the JLSP based on a framework of substantive and procedural factors and
practical outcomes to identify the presence of criteria thought to be indicative of
successful collaborative projects. Examples of criteria include process execution,
process fairness, and public acceptance. I developed indicators for each criterion
and used the presence or attainment of these indicators to denote the existence of
the criterion. For example, indicators of process design included a clear impetus
for the project, defined project goals and outcomes, and clear expectations of participants.
My findings indicate that the JLSP was successful in developing a pollutant load level
for the watershed and recommendations for a nutrient management strategy. Concepts
such as reductions in nutrient loading from existing development, Adaptive Management,
and nutrient-trading were included in the rules proposed by the DWQ, based on the
recommendations by the JLSP participants. In addition, the project encouraged communication
and partnerships among municipalities in the watershed. However, issues such as the
complexity of pinpointing pollution sources and a disproportionate allocation of costs
and benefits produced by potential regulations may have been too complex and contentious
for stakeholders to reach consensus-based decisions.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/484Citation
Wyman, Christine Glendenning (2008). Stakeholder Participation in Watershed Management: An Evaluation of the Jordan Lake
Stakeholder Project. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/484.Collections
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