articles 102 JOURNAL OF NATURAL RESOURCES & LIFE SCIENCES EDUCATION VOLUME 37 2008 W orldwide water scarcity and water pollution have dramatically increased the need to discuss water resources in the classroom. Water resources management is complex and requires analytical skills that should be enhanced among undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of environmental conservation, natural resource management, and fisheries and wildlife sciences. Central to most water-related issues are multiple stakeholders with numerous perspectives and values. As future lead- ers, students need to learn to deal appropriately with these problems; therefore, students should develop an apprecia- tion for the complexity of such issues by practicing critical thinking and stakeholder analysis. However, dealing with complex issues and multiple perspectives is often above the cognitive level of college freshmen. According to Belenky et al. (1986), the majority of college freshmen begin at the dualism or the multiplicity level of Perry’s scheme of cogni- tive development (Perry, 1970). The former is character- ized by a black-and-white world where there are right and wrong answers and nothing in between. The latter is when multiple theories are acknowledged, yet all seem uncertain. At both of these levels, students find it difficult to accept that there may be more than one correct answer. Students are generally trained to be passive learners, and passive learning often continues throughout the under- graduate experience with the overabundance of lectures. The transition into experiential and active learning can be difficult; case studies provide a framework for the students and the teachers during this transitional period. Using case studies in the classroom is one way to deepen students’ thinking and enhance their learning, while introducing them to relevant issues in their field. Case studies are problem- based stories that have an educational mission (Herreid, 1997). Case studies provide structured guidance along the path of intellectual development (Welty, 1989) by recon- structing a real-life situation where students are asked to use problem-solving and decision-making skills (Wilson, 1987). The value of cases as a pedagogical tool lies in their active-learning nature. Case teaching and learning can involve a wide array of activities that promote active learn- ing, such as student–teacher interaction, student–student collaboration, problem solving, reflection, and discussion (Meyers and Jones, 1993). These activities promote deeper learning by pushing students to higher levels of thinking (i.e., analysis, evaluation, and creation; Krathwohl, 2002) than do passive learning approaches to teaching, such as lectures (Grossman, 1994; Klebba and Hamilton, 2007). Contemporary conflicts in natural resources conserva- tion and management are particularly conducive to case study teaching and learning, due to their interdisciplinary and often contentious nature (Habron and Dann, 2002). Dilemma cases in natural resources management are ideal for bolstering students’ critical thinking skills (Ennis, 1987). Similar to the long-established use of case study teaching and learning in business curricula (Garvin, 2003; Wee et al., 2003; Klebba and Hamilton, 2007), dilemma cases in natural resources management (Habron and Dann, 2002) encourage students to employ higher-level thinking to sort Water Resources Management in the Lerma–Chapala Basin, Mexico: A Case Study Amy M. Villamagna* and Brian R. Murphy Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, 106 Cheatham Hall, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA 24061. Received 25 Jan. 2008. *Corresponding author (avillamagna@ vt.edu). J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ. 37:102–110 (2008). http://www.JNRLSE.org © American Society of Agronomy 677 S. Segoe Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA ABSTRACT Water resources have become an increasingly important topic of discussion in natural resources and environmental management courses. To address the need for more critical thinking in the classroom and to provide an active learning experience for undergraduate students, we present a case study based on water competition and manage- ment in the Lerma–Chapala basin of Mexico. This case was designed to promote critical thinking and enhance learning in undergraduate students through their engagement in a relevant contemporary management issue. We discuss the value of a case-study approach for natural resource and environmental courses, as well as approaches to using this case study in the classroom. The case study contains background information and stakeholder profiles relevant to the issue of water management in the Lerma–Chapala basin. It also provides sample discussion questions to help inspire higher-level think- ing among students. Copyright © 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Abbreviations: CEA, Comisión Estatal de Agua–State Water Commission, previously CEAS; CNA, Comisión Nacional de Agua–National Water Commission; CEAS, Comisión Estatal de Agua y Sanitación–State Water and Sanitation Commission; SAGARPA, Secretario de Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca y Alimentación–Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fish and Food.