The watershed council as a mechanism
for upstream-downstream cooperation:

   Reduction of water allocation conflicts and land use-related sedimentation through watershed-wide coordination

   325.7 square kilometers

   Water users'association
   hydroelectric utility
   Water supply utility
   University
   Regional development authority
   National Water Council

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   Watershed council as coordinating unit
   Agreement on minimum ecological streamflow
   Implementation of projects in upstream areas (soil conservation, agroforestry, etc.)

The valley of the Machángara River is situated between the western and eastern mountain range of the Andes in the southern part of Ecuador, 400 km south of Quito, draining into the Amazon watershed. The watershed of the Río Machángara are used for the Industrial Park of the town of Cuenca, comprising about 120 industries that represent 50% of the industries located in the town, and for the supply of drinking waterand the generation of hydroelectricity, irrigation, livestock and fish farming. Currently there is a great demand of the resource, which is superior to the available supply; this generates problems amongst users, as the shortage in specific periods of the year is critical, obliging serious rationing of the resource.
The creation of the watershed council to overcome these problems can be considered as a pioneer activity in Ecuador. The present case study wants to contribute to the knowledge and the diffusion and analysis of this management system for consideration in future conservation tasks and administration of resources, especially water.