Fostering environmental conflict resolutions in water management involves tradeoffs, conflicts, and compromise among economic and environmental objectives. Pareto optimality is often advocated for water management, but its relationship with the nature and mathematical representation of benefits, and implications of tradeoffs for Pareto optimal decisions are rarely examined. We evaluate the shape of Pareto optimal frontiers, their origins for representing benefits, and their implications for incentives of parties to cooperate or conflict over environmental water allocations. The same physical, ecological, and economic relationships that shape multi-objective performance also shape incentives or disincentives to overcome environmental conflicts. Analysis indicates that compromises among benefits can be easier when tradeoff curves are concave, and more adversarial when tradeoff curves are convex. “Knees”, or areas with maximum curvature, bulges, or breakpoints in concave Pareto frontiers, suggest particularly promising areas for compromise. Tradeoff curve convexity or concavity and interior thresholds in performance make negotiated solutions harder or easier. Managing multiple streams regionally, rather than only individually, can sometimes turn convex local tradeoffs into concave regional tradeoffs, more amenable to compromise. Broader portfolios of environmental management also can improve and shift the location and prominence of knees in Pareto frontiers. Conclusions are drawn for how societies can structure environmental water allocations and habitat restoration to improve performance, encourage cooperation, and contain conflict.

Water resources decisions are often presented as bonds for public vote, but water resources management is an esoteric topic for which improved public understanding is crucial. An art-science museum exhibit was developed to visualize aquatic habitats and species, communicate management tools, tradeoffs, and alternatives that guide water resources decision-making, and empower the public to make informed decision about water resources. Drone-based river habitat data was collected to identify vegetation, measure water surface temperature, represent topography, and show visible light. An artist composited all data into single large-format images to visualize river habitat. Another artist painted native fish, including Bonneville Cutthroat Trout and Bluehead Sucker that are managed for conservation, to capture the transcendent experience of encountering wild fish. 3D maps with video projections told stories of past water development choices, those we face in the future, and described water management models to balance river preservation with human water supply. Visitor surveys were conducted with willing participants to understand how art affected their experience and behavior. Preliminary results suggested that 41% of visitors thought integrating art and science greatly added to the exhibit experience, 22% thought art helped them to understand water management problems and opportunities, and 26% responded that art drew them into the exhibit. After visiting the exhibit, 15% of respondents said they were likely to write letters to government officials about water concerns, 25% said they were likely to attend a public meeting, 50% said they were likely to watch a presentation with proposed actions about water management, 59% said they were likely to talk to friends and family about water resources, and 62% said they were likely to visit a local river. This exhibit is estimated to reach about 130,000 visitors, despite capacity restrictions due to COVID-19 social distancing.