All Fujian water managing authorities worked continuously to enhance the leadership and provide greater guidance to support small scale farmers. The Fujian government encouraged farmers to establish farmer associations that would take over of managing irrigation infrastructure, including operation and maintenance. The water managing authorities of Fujian issued a document "Enhance the Rural Farmer Water Resources Management Association Construction" to enhance the significance of establishing the farmer water user association, and identify the responsibility, requirements, and goal of these association. In addition to technical guidance and public awareness campaigns, farmers were provided by subsidies encouraging them to register in the farmer water association. Several small communities were selected to test how direct involvement of farmers will impact the performance of irrigation.
In total 88 pilot sites were selected where 73 farmer water associations applied new rules of agriculture water regime. Some works have been done in these water associations for instance, exploring the most effective water management regime, fund raising in water infrastructure building and maintenance, enhance the safety of water reservoir, reducing the water leakage, cleaning water sediments. The water association established a new water release system that secured a release of optimal water allocation considering dry and/or flood periods. The new established water charging system helps to streamline the water charging system and solving the charging dilemmas. After launching the participatory management approaches, the water fee is reasonable linked specifically to the water consumption of each farmer.