[Objective] To promote public participate in water resources management and improve management effect.[Methods] Taking farmers living in Gaotai County, Gansu Province as the case, by using participatory research data, the structure equation model(SEM) was built, and famer's cognition and response to participatory water resources were analyzed. [Results] The path coefficients of farmer's cognition to its satisfaction and willingness were 0.18(t=4.08) and 0.42(t=7.03), while the path coefficient of satisfaction to willingness was 0.45(t=3.86). (1) Farmer's cognition of water resources management had positively relationships with its satisfaction and willingness to participate the water users association(WUA), and the satisfaction positively effects willingness too. (2) The main exogenous structural variables affecting farmer's cognition was personal factor, and the main exogenous observation variables were self-confidence and education level. (3) The main exogenous structural variables effect farmer's satisfaction was agriculture production status, and the main exogenous observation variables were arable land, the proportion of agriculture income and household per capital net income. (4) The main exogenous structural variables affecting farmer's willingness to participate in WUA is household status, and the main exogenous observation variable is households per capital net income. [Conclusion] We should promote propaganda and training to improve farmers' knowledge and cognition of water resources usage and management. The water resources management efficiency must be improved in order to increase farmers' income and satisfaction degree. At last, management system should be built to create opportunity and condition for farmers' participation.