SOBA Public Library

What do we mean by “Shared Waterways” or “Waterways Management?” These terms have diverse definitions depending on the situation and user. Today’s Waterway Manager may not have that title on a business card. Instead, this role may be a local trustee, a state boating law administrator, a site manager for the federal government, or a regional watershed planning association. Waterway managers face pressure from a wide range of stakeholders, each sharing a unique perspective on how best to protect, utilize, or share the water resource. Options may range from expanding access to drive revenue and business interests to limiting access based on analysis of physical and social carrying capacities. This session explores the vast diversity of expectations and desired outcomes facing managers today, based on A Guide for Multiple Use Waterway Management (Third Edition).