Watershed Works: A Game-Based Approach to Facilitating System Understanding of Water Intersections with Security

Joseph Crockett led the development of this work, with support from Thushara Gunda, Nicole Jackson, and Raquel Valdez to scope and refine content.

This work was supported by National Science Foundation and the developers are all from Sandia National Laboratories, a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525. SAND2026-25943O

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Initial Publication Date: September 2, 2026
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Summary

In this educational game, participants manage a shared watershed that runs from headwaters to a delta. Each participant controls land along the river and makes decisions about water use, infrastructure development, groundwater pumping, water storage, and trading of resources. The activity is designed to complement a broader lecture on Water Intersections with Security (WXS), which presents water security through three interconnected worldviews: 1) water as an environmental resource; 2) infrastructure resilience that depends on and supports water systems; and 3) regional dynamics that shape allocation, conflict, cooperation, and adaptation. Throughout the game, participants experience how water availability, access, infrastructure decisions, weather variability, groundwater depletion, and social negotiation interact to shape the health and resilience of a shared watershed. For example, water is allocated in turn order, where earlier players have first access to surface water, while later players must adapt to what remains through negotiation, trade, storage, or groundwater use. This approach in the activity mimics key features of upstream/downstream dynamics and the doctrine of prior appropriation governing water use in many parts of the world. Over the course of the game, participants will be able to observe the complexity of water resources management in a hands-on setting and reflect on WXS concepts during the post-game debrief.

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Learning Goals

This activity develops participants' ability to critically think about watersheds as a systems challenge. Specifically, they will be able to connect gameplay decisions to the three worldviews of WXS to describe how their decisions were shaped by interactions among environmental resources, infrastructure, and social dynamics of the game.

Context for Use

This activity is appropriate for various backgrounds across age groups, from middle school to professionals. It is designed for use in courses, workshops, or outreach settings primarily focused on water security, but can be applied in other settings as well, e.g. economic or policy classes.

The activity can be completed in approximately 40–100 minutes with groups of three to four participants playing simultaneously. For younger players, consider allocating additional time. The primary materials needed for the activity are the game materials (PowerPoint file) and instructions (Word file). Each group also needs two six-sided dice, a writing implement, scratch paper, and a timer.

There are also two PowerPoint presentations that can be used to support describing the game and the broader concepts of water security within the WXS framework. Ideally, the WXS presentation would be provided prior to the game.

Description and Teaching Materials

Ideally, the participants would be introduced to the concepts of water security prior to game play. Specifically, we recommend discussing water security through its intersections with environmental resources, infrastructure resilience, and regional dynamics as part of the WXS framework. More information about these WXS concepts can be found in the Lecture Slides for WXS (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 17.8MB Aug31 26). This will provide participants a common foundation of information prior to engaging in the game, "Watershed Works: Every Drop Counts."

The activity directly supports the WXS lecture by allowing participants to apply the three interconnected worldviews in a game-based setting. During the game, participants will have the opportunity to engage in managing a shared watershed that runs from the headwaters to a delta. Each participant controls land along the river, with some players located upstream and others downstream. Player lands may represent different ecosystems, such as forest, grassland, semi-arid land, or wetlands. Participants will use water to develop and maintain infrastructure while trying to earn points and preserve the health of the watershed.


The game setup involves organizing the students into groups with 3-4 participants each. Each group receives a gameboard, scoresheet, token sheet, ruleset, event cards, a timer, and 2 dice. The gameboard, scoresheet, token sheet, and event cards can be found in Game Pieces for "Watershed Works" game (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 1.2MB Aug31 26). A copy of the rules can be found in the Rule set for "Watershed Works" game (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 218kB Aug31 26).

Once the game pieces are distributed, then the rules can be described. This can done by either stepping through the copy of the rules (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 218kB Aug31 26) or with the accompanying slide deck WatershedWorks_GameOverview.pptx (PowerPoint 2007 (.pptx) 2.3MB Aug31 26). Generally, the game is organized into repeated rounds. Each round includes five main steps detailed in the ruleset.

The facilitation guide (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 52kB Aug31 26) contains common misconceptions that may arise during the game play. The facilitation guide also includes a set of debrief questions at the end to help participants reflect on the connections to WXS.

Files

Teaching Notes and Tips

The first game setup may take longer than expected. Facilitators may want to play the first two to four rounds as a guided walkthrough, with the instructor rolling the weather dice and drawing the event cards for all groups. Once participants understand the round structure, groups can continue independently or begin a second playthrough.

This activity is specific to water security and is most effective when connected to discussion of real-world water systems, especially issues such as drought, groundwater depletion, infrastructure dependence, water rights, regional allocation, water markets, and upstream/downstream relationships.

There are various concepts that facilitators could emphasize during game play and debrief, including the importance of prior appropriation, water security is more than water quantity, importance of cooperation and trade, and creation of dependencies and benefits through infrastructure investment. There are also multiple misconceptions that could be addressed during the course of the game play and debrief (e.g., if I maximize my points, I win). For a full list of concepts, please consult the Facilitation guide for "Watershed Works" game (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 52kB Aug31 26).

The length of the game play can be adjusted based on time availability. For example, a shorter version can include a guided walkthrough of several rounds followed by discussion. If time allows, participants can also play an additional round or second game after the debrief. This allows them to apply insights from the first discussion, test more cooperative strategies, and observe whether different choices improve watershed health or individual outcomes.

To change difficulty, the amount of water tokens produced each round can be modified from 3 water tokens x number of players. For example, to increase difficulty use 2 water tokens x number of players. To decrease difficulty, use 4 water tokens x number of players.

Play suggestions

Tokens: Token sheets are included, but alternative pieces can be used if desired.

Walkthrough: Instructor rolls dice and draws event card for the entire group. During rounds 1 and 2 the rules are walked through together. Make it through 4 rounds, then calculate final individual scores and group scores together.

Playthrough 2: Groups roll their own dice and draws their own event cards. Play for a set time limit, making sure to have enough time to debrief the activity.

If time is short for a second playthrough, continue with playthrough 1 for more rounds.


Assessment

Student learning is assessed through guided discussion and reflection following gameplay. The specific format of the assessment could occur in multiple formats, including:

  • Whole-class discussion
  • Small-group reflection
  • Short response connecting gameplay to the WXS framework and accompanying lecture
  • Comparison of first and second playthrough strategies
  • Concept map showing relationships among water availability, infrastructure, governance, and watershed health

The debrief section of the facilitation guide (Microsoft Word 2007 (.docx) 52kB Aug31 26) contains multiple discussion prompts and questions that can be used to support assessments.

If you use this activity, we would appreciate feedback about what worked, what can be improved, and any alternations made to help participants learn.