Common Pool Resource Management: Assessing Water Resources Planning for Hydrologically Connected Surface and Groundwater Systems

Common pool resource (CPR) management has the potential to overcome collective action dilemma, defined as tendency for individual users exploit natural resources and contribute a tragedy of commons. Design principles associated with effective CPR help ensure that arrangements work mutual benefit water users. This study contributes current research on by examining process implementing integrated planning through lens design principles. Integrated plans facilitate complex common resource, ground surface having hydrological connection. Water governance structures were evaluated use participatory methods observed records interannual changes in rainfall, evapotranspiration, levels across Northern High Plains. The findings, documented statutes, field interviews hydrologic variables, point addressing large-scale dilemmas, while building strengths local control participation. feasibility “bottom up” system foster groundwater resilience was evidenced reductions depths 2 m less than decade.