The Oak Creek Watershed Council was started by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) circa 1994 as an informal group, and evolved into a self-managed, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization on September 11, 2003. Its membership includes private citizens, businesses, UA and NAI, federal, state, city and county staff and elected officials.

The Oak Creek Watershed Council is founded on the principle that a voluntary association of members of the watershed community, working together to understand both the watershed and each other, can best protect the Oak Creek Watershed environment and preserve the integrity of its outstanding watercourse, Oak Creek.