This emphasis gives those people who depend on the aquatic resources for their health, livelihood or quality of life a meaningful role in the management of the resources. Through such active and broad involvement, the watershed approach can build a sense of community, reduce conflicts, increase commitment to the actions necessary to meet societal goals and, ultimately, improve the likelihood of sustaining long-term environmental improvements. Watershed work is about partnerships. The important thing is to pull together a partnership that is of manageable size, creates synergy, and represents the key interests in the watershed. No one entity can solve all the issues in any given watershed.
Watershed partnerships come in all shapes and sizes, with each partner having a different interest.
Some partnerships are loosely structured, while others are quite formal. Regardless of how they are structured, making partnerships work is challenging and takes commitment. Common issues that partnerships face include selecting a leader, ensuring that all the right people are involved, and moving beyond any hostility that may exist among members. If a group is able to develop esprit de corps, they can be quite effective. Some groups have decided to say that issues that are too divisive are not to be discussed.