Barriers to Adaptive Management: Lessons from the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint Compact

Adaptive management advocates contend that resource decisions should be made and modified as a function of what scientists and resource managers learn about natural systems. Decisions should be modest in scope, scientifically sound, and reversible. Implementing adaptive practices requires that stakeholders adopt resource management arrangements that permit learning from mistakes, monitoring, mid-course changes, and reaching consensus on future actions. This article examines these challenges in the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) River Basin Compact formed in 1997 to forge a water allocation formula for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Through a literature review and analysis of key events, we find that efforts to agree on an allocation formula have failed because preconditions needed for adaptively managing the ACF basin are impeded by lack of a shared vision and conflicting demands, and separation of water quality and quantity regulations. These problems exist in other water disputes and highlight limitations in implementing adaptive management practices.