In 1995, the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts (ATSWCD) agreed to serve as a coordinating group to host the organizational meeting for the establishment of the Texas Association of Watershed Sponsors (TAWS).
Prior to the Annual Meeting of the ATSWCD in Galveston, the Water Resources Committee had sent out a questionnaire to most of the active watershed sponsors in the state to determine their interest in forming such an organization. The response was very positive and a number of sponsors volunteered names of people willing to serve on the steering committee and/or as officers.
The twenty-two people attending that meeting voted to form the Texas Association of Watershed Sponsors and then proceeded to review a draft copy of by-laws that had been prepared by the Chairman of the Water Resources Committee. After a great deal of discussion and various amendments, the group voted to accept the by-laws as amended. The newly formed Association then elected the following officers:
President – Logan Crews of the Elm Creek Watershed Authority
Vice President – Clyde Hale of the Upper Elm-Red SWCD
Secretary/Treasurer – Jim Thompson of the San Antonio River Authority
A copy of the current bylaws is included in the Documents section of TAWS website for those who are interested.
Since its creation in 1995, TAWS has been effective in influencing the future of the Small Watershed Protection Program in Texas, has worked with the TCEQ in the development of the current dam safety rules, was instrumental in the initial approval and funding of the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board’s Flood Control Program, and works closely with the National Watershed Coalition on Watershed issues at the national level.