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Institutional aspects of lake management

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Abstract

The major barriers to successful lake management are institutional. However, in contrast to the technical and limnological dimensions of lake management, the institutional aspects of managing lakes have received little attention. The institutional factors that are important for successful lake management outcomes are: overlapping areal jurisdiction among governmental units, fragmented functional program responsibilities, ineffective coordination, limited authority, financial constraints, private sector roles, and inadequate public awareness and consensus. The range of typical institutional problems confronting lake management are well illustrated through experiences from the state of Wisconsin, USA. Because lake management programs with institutional shortcomings rarely realize their goals, it is critical to assimilate, evaluate, and apply our experience to date with the institutional arrangements necessary to effectively manage lake resources.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin, 53706, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Stephen M. Born

  2. Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Water Resources Management, 53707-7921, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Carolyn Rumery

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Born, S.M., Rumery, C. Institutional aspects of lake management. Environmental Management 13, 1–13 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867582

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