One of the new approaches to addressing the agricultural water challenge is governance, which plays a crucial role in influencing responsibility, participation, availability of information, transparency, and government effectiveness. Therefore, the current research was conducted with the aim of identifying and prioritizing the key drivers for the realization of local governance of agricultural water in the Qarachai watershed. The research method was descriptive-applied, and the statistical population consisted of specialists, experts, and key farmers in the region. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 individuals from the target community to identify the factors affecting the local governance of agricultural water. The propellant analysis technique was then used to identify the key drivers. Eight key areas were identified, highlighting their high importance for realizing local water governance in the agricultural sector. Based on the findings, governance in the studied region was found to be weak in terms of government effectiveness, transparency, the right to comment, accountability, and participation. As a result, recommendations to improve governance include enhancing the knowledge of users and beneficiaries, clarifying the duties and powers of water-related bodies, ensuring the accountability of trustee institutions in implementing water policies and programs, involving farmers in the enforcement of relevant laws, and creating a supportive environment for the activities of "people's institutions." These measures can be effective in realizing local governance in the study area.