The Long Tom Watershed Council is a community organization that formed in response to a statewide call for collaborative watershed restoration at the local level. The prelude to formation of the council that now encompasses the entire watershed was a small group of citizens, the Upper Long Tom/Coyote Creek Working Group, that met in 1996 to discuss watershed issues. In late 1997, two members utilized this momentum to write a grant proposal, and our first Council Support grant was funded by the Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board (GWEB). In January of 1998, we hired a Watershed Coordinator. That coordinator assisted the group in reaching out to the whole Long Tom Watershed. During 1998, the Council held monthly meetings, gave presentations, and reached out to anyone who was referred to us. By March, our meeting attendance swelled to as high as 70 people from all backgrounds.

In 1998, the Council also wrote its Charter, a document that communicates our commitment to inclusive, volunteer-driven membership. Since we've become an incorporated nonprofit organization in 2007, the Long Tom Watershed Council is governed by bylaws. The Charter still captures the spirit of our organization, particularly our Mission and Goals.

See our timeline for a more detailed chronology of LTWC events.