Pathways to enhanced lake integrity: A Framework to assess the effectiveness of local lake associations

The promise of collaborative governance is to implement policies that address uncertain and multi-scale environmental problems while also allowing local social systems to successfully adapt. The success of such efforts is contingent on the capacity of community-based institutions such as lake associations to effect change. These organizations encapsulate the values communities hold for lakes and their catchments and can play a central role in managing the integrity of lakes’ freshwater resources. To this end, we develop a framework to delineate the pathways lake associations can take to contribute to the management of lakes and their catchments. We suggest the cornerstones of effective engagement in collaborative governance are the goals the organization sets for itself (mission), the capital that can be mobilized by the organization (capacity) and the activities the organization undertakes (actions). We propose measurable indicators for each component and suggest how the framework can be used to assess contributions of lake associations to multi-scale governance. Finally, we suggest how this framework can be integrated with ecological monitoring frameworks as part of a long term social-ecological research and monitoring program.