The management of water resources takes an important place in the management of the environment. The ideal single management is that of the watershed in which water flow and its use can be controlled.

Reletad to the environment, it implies in a continual anylisis process, decision making, organization, control of the developmental activities as well as avaluation of the results in order to improve policy making and its future implementation
A water management system - Seek for the participation of local authorities, the private sector and the community as a group - Incorporates the environmental variant in the expansion and improvement of quality of life - Is the landmark that coordinates environmental activities among sectors, places and agents
The main objective of a management process is to treat the water systems or watersheds in a complet manner, seeking to use, protect and recover them in order to answer the ever increasing population demand and ensuring its use by future generations
The management models of water resources are formed by ways of water administration that give an institutional landmark to environmental management. In France, an effective legislation grants de management responsibility to the Watershed Agencies. In the United States, the law establishes private property over the use of the resource and proposes ways or organizing the different users of one watershed.

These are the main models basic ideas:
 

• THE FRENCH MODEL
Considers water a world heritage good. Supports a planned organization of the legitimate uses of water, based in a law that incentivates and searches for a consensus among the users. Ensures the activities coherence within the limits of each watershed. The controlling mechanisms are the watershed Comitees formed by users, delegates, local associations and the Public Power. The Comitees` executive instrumets are the water agencies that apply the polluter-payer principle. All users participate in the Administrative council in each agency.
• THE AMERICAN MODEL
The legislation on water rights are based on the English laws adopted after the declaration of Independence. The rights over water property are considered public, and the rights of its use are private. It supports that every owner of waterside land has the right to use the property`s waters, giving priority to the oldest dweller. The rights over water are private and may be bought and sold separetely from the land.
• THE CEPAL MODEL (LATIN AMERICA ECONOMIC COMISSION)
Supports that management of water resources is not an activity isolated from management of other natural resources of a watershed. The integrated administration is based in a watershed`s entity decision making ability and strategic planning with the objective of reaching the goals proposed by a reasonably large group of agents that depend upon and share a territory.

• Human consumption
• Animal breeding
• Agriculture and agroindustry
• Energy production for industry or mining

Given all those different interests, we can safely come to the conclusion that water management is, precisely, managing and administrating conflicts among:
 

• Man and the environment
• All the different users that compete for the same resource
• Today`s users and future generations
• The users of an area subject ot external interventions.