Shared Leadership For Watershed Management

Citizen leadership must be developed, nurtured and encouraged. Strong leaders create trust, help others make sense of information, generate new knowledge, connect their followers to each other, and mobilize broad support for water resource protection. Leaders must believe there is a problem, understand the sources of pollution, be able to talk with others about a vision for getting to better water quality, and be willing to change their own practices. When scientists and technical watershed specialists work side-by-side with local leaders, citizens are better able to connect to the basic identity of their watershed; exchange new information, emerging science and technical solutions; and change their practices and encourage others to change.