To map and analyze the organizational structure scope and practical
water management activities in the local water organizations,
official documents including action plans, statutes, reports and
meeting minutes from the water organizations in the catchments
were used. The study focuses on the catchments as a governance
unit, and the different conditions within the separate municipalities
are not treated separately. Semi-structured interviews with
three representatives from the two water councils were conducted
in 2012 and 2013: Interviewee 1 from the water council and water
association in Rönne River Catchment with long experience of
catchment cooperation in the area; Interviewee 2 from the water
councils’ secretariat for both Rönne River Catchment and Ringsjö
Lake Catchment; and Interviewee 3 from the water council secretariatfor
Kävlinge River Catchment. The interviews were organized
around a series of questions linked to the organization of the councils,
the scope and what type of activities that were planned and
undertaken for both catchments, followed by open questions and
clarifications of the official documents such as the water councils’
plans and statutes. The interviews complemented the information
from the official documents and literature in order to meet the
aim and research questions. The interviews aimed to give a deeper
understanding and clarification on how the scope of water management
was envisioned, how the organizational structure actually
works, potentially important actors for changes in the institutional
arrangements, the roles of different actors, collaboration among
actors, and important updates on the activities, such as planned
and achieved measures. Also, two semi-structured interviews with
one representative from the consultancy (Interviewee 4) involved
in water management in both catchments were conducted in 2007
and 2013. A particular focus in these interviews was the institutional
development in the 1990s for which it was difficult to find
official documents. These interviews were also helpful in clarifying
differences and similarities between the two catchments.