More than most countries, Sri Lanka depends on the irrigated production of paddy to feed its population. About two-thirds of the area devoted to paddy is irrigated, and irrigated areas produce 80% of the total rice crop. There are currently several experiments in Sri Lanka aimed at promoting farmer participation in water management in large-scale irrigation schemes. This paper describes one such experiment in promoting farmer participation in irrigation management, reports its initial successes, and offers a preliminary analysis of the reasons for the changes in farmer responsibility for better water utilization. The experiment is located in the Left Bank area of the Gal Oya Irrigation Scheme in southeastern Sri Lanka.