  Water governing systems are twisted with complex interplays among levels and
scales which embody their structures. Typically, the mismatch between
human-generated and natural systems produces externalities and inefficiencies
reflectable in spatial scales. The largely known problem of fit in water
governance is investigated to detect the issues of fit between
administrative/institutional scales and the hydrological one in a lake basin.
To implement the idea, constraining the level of analysis interlinked to the
concentrated levels of administration in spatial scales, the fit of the
governing system was analyzed by means of statistical mechanics. Modeling the
structure of water demand/supply governing system in a given region through the
Curie-Weiss Mean Field approximation, the system cost in relation to its
structure and fit was appraised and compared with two other conceptual
structures in the Urmia Lake Basin in Iran. The methodology articulated an
analysis framework for exploring the effectiveness of the formulated water
demand/supply governing system and its fit to the relevant hydrological system.
The findings of this study may help developing strategies to encourage
adaptations, rescaling/reforms for effective watershed management.
