The Water Framework Directive (WFD, EC2000/60) implies targeting the water system as a whole: encompassing all sources of pollutants within a watershed or river basin, and involving participation in decision‐making over particular water bodies. The approach seeks win‐win solutions among a range of stakeholders, fostering collaboration that involves negotiations over rules and measures to improve the water situation. Collaborative watershed management has the potential to overcome tensions between different interests through providing more policy‐making autonomy to stakeholders at the grassroots level and contribute to trust‐building and shared visions over the future of local water resources (Sabatier et al, 2005). In these partnerships, however, the state seems to still play an important role. The WFD calls for consultation with relevant stakeholders through reference groups and Water Councils in the river basin districts as a main ingredient for water management collaboration. But does this form of collaboration function to foster collective action and practical results? This study offers a critical view on the conditions for inclusiveness, responsibility and accountability in the new bodies for collaborative water governance. It is based on a survey in northern Sweden targeting the Water Councils and their networks, as well as the County Administration officers from the Bothnian Bay Water Management District. Our analysis focuses on questions like: What are the participants' motivations and drivers for improving water conditions? How do expectations vary, and for what reasons, among private and public representatives? What factors contribute to the formation and endurance of watershed collaborations and partnerships? The results show that the most important aspects are perceptions on how democratic the water councils are, output legitimacy (perceptions on to what extent the authorities take Water Councils’ statements into account) and that dialogues characterized by respect lead to less action.
