1 Strengthening Cross-state Linkages to Improve Watershed Governance: The Case of Western Interstate River Compacts

This paper examines the institutional processes and mechanisms used by U.S. western states to engage in shared governance of interstate rivers, especially efforts at strengthening cross-state linkages to improve watershed governance. The most common mechanism used by states to govern shared rivers is a compact, which is a treaty among semi-autonomous governments. Compacts are generally viewed as inflexible, rigid governance structures incapable of responding to changing environmental and institutional settings. Using data from an NSF funded study of 15 western interstate river compacts we examine this claim. In particular, we explore the response of compacts to water conflicts. Water conflicts often emerge in response to changing circumstances – such as the development and use of new sources of water or the emergence of new values – conditions that can challenge the compatibility of compacts as cross-scale governance mechanisms. Yet, we find that members of compacts, closely related water agencies, and compact governments use a variety of responses, from changes in strategies to revising constitutional choice rules, in responding to conflicts. Evidence of these efforts demonstrates that compacts are not necessarily as rigid and inflexible as some argue, and that a range of options are available for increasing the capacity and competence of states to engage in interstate governance.