Decision Support Systems for Water Management: Investigating Stakeholder Perceptions of System Use

Water resources are becoming increasingly important to protect, but doing so has proven challenging due to the complex nature of resource management. Many researchers have been trying to develop “usable science” to aid in this endeavor, and one method of this is the development of decision support systems. This has led to the employment of this method as a potential tool for decision makers, scientists, and the interested public to use; yet little literature is available on the success of their implementation. This study attempted to fill the gaps by gathering data through surveys and interviews from stakeholders who are part of institutions that fund the University of South Florida’s Water Atlas. The study found that the tool was used for both educational outreach and scientific research support. Decision making was mostly supported through the program’s use as a research tool. Stakeholders also expressed that conditions found in the literature to contribute to successful implementation were largely met through the Water Atlas development process and continued use