RIVERS AND OTHER BODIES OF WATER ARE INCREASINGLY CONTESTED VENUES WHERE KNOWLEDGE DIVERSITY AND COLLABORATIVE STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT ARE CRITICAL FOR EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND THE SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF WATER RESOURCES. ALTHOUGH WE KNOW A GREAT DEAL ABOUT THE RATIONALE AND DESIGN OF COLLABORATIVE GOVERNANCE, THE ISSUE OF HOW INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE THESE PROCESSES AND OUTCOMES ARE REMAIN PUZZLING FOR THOSE WHO STUDY, DESIGN, AND SPONSOR ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS. BY EXPLICITLY ACCOUNTING FOR POWER IN THE STUDY AND DESIGN OF RIVER BASIN GOVERNANCE, THIS PROJECT WILL DEVELOP NEW KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORICAL, LEGAL, POLITICAL, AND CULTURAL PROCESSES THAT HAVE LED TO CURRENT WATER GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES AND COLLABORATION PROCESSES. ULTIMATELY, PROJECT FINDINGS WILL PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES BY IDENTIFYING HOW POWER IS MANIFESTED IN MULTI-LEVEL WATER GOVERNANCE ORGANIZATIONS AND UNCOVERING HOW POWER DISPARITIES CAN LEAD TO DIFFERENTIAL OUTCOMES AND INEQUITIES FOR STAKEHOLDERS. I WILL ACHIEVE THIS GOAL BY CONDUCTING AN IN-DEPTH CASE STUDY OF THE KLAMATH RIVER BASIN, A REGION TRAVERSING THE OREGON-CALIFORNIA BORDER UNDERGOING HISTORIC RESOURCE GOVERNANCE CHANGES. THE CASE STUDY WILL INVOLVE MULTIPLE MODES OF QUALITATIVE INQUIRY, INCLUDING POLICY ANALYSIS, ARCHIVAL RESEARCH, IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS, FOCUS GROUPS, AND PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION. HIGHLIGHTING THE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF FARMERS AND RANCHERS, TRIBAL SCIENTISTS, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGERS, AND OTHER UNDER-REPRESENTED PARTIES, THESE DATA GENERATION TECHNIQUES WILL DETERMINE HOW INSTITUTIONS, REGULATORY AGENCIES, AND POLICIES CAN CREATE MORE EFFECTIVE AND EQUITABLE APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCE ISSUES. A FOUR-PRONGED DISSEMINATION STRATEGY WILL SHARE FINDINGS WITH REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS, EXTENSION AND POLICYMAKERS, THE SOCIO-BEHAVIORAL SCHOLARLY COMMUNITY, AND THE BROADER PUBLIC.