Environmental Commission urges Council to adopt 'Rain to River' plan with dashboard and Indigenous collaboration

Austin Watershed Protection presented the final draft of its decade‑long strategic plan, Rain to River, to the Environmental Commission on April 15; the commission voted unanimously to recommend City Council adopt the plan and asked staff to add an online implementation dashboard and pursue deeper collaboration with Indigenous partners.

Jorge Morales, Watershed director, said Rain to River replaces the department’s 2001 plan and sets mission, vision and values for the next decade. The plan centers community priorities gathered through an extensive engagement process — a Community Activation Group, web surveys and neighborhood outreach — and organizes 24 strategies under three commitments: center community, innovate together and govern responsibly. "We aspire to an equitable, resilient Austin for current and future generations, where our natural and built environment work in harmony," Morales said.

Staff emphasized that the plan treats equity and lived experience as essential data, and links community priorities (flood mitigation, climate resilience, natural‑resource protection, trust and collaboration) to concrete strategies, an adaptive implementation framework and monitoring. Planning staff said the strategy includes a mix of regulatory, capital and community programs and proposed an implementation schedule that will go to Council on May 21.

Commissioners sought details on climate‑change modeling, accountability and community stewardship. Watershed staff described plans for an ongoing community advisory group, annual reporting and a public dashboard to track progress against the 24 strategies and the 10 community priorities. Kelly Gagnon, interim chief strategy officer, said staff plan to develop detailed implementation milestones, an online tracker and annual reporting tools to show progress and barriers.

The commission formally moved Recommendation 20260415‑003 asking Council to adopt Rain to River and to require an online implementation dashboard similar to the Climate Equity Plan’s dashboard, and to explore further collaboration with local Indigenous groups for ecological restoration and community healing. The motion passed 10‑0‑0.

Why it matters: Rain to River frames Watershed Protection’s priorities around equity, flood risk, restoration and community stewardship, and the commission’s unanimous recommendation — with dashboard and Indigenous collaboration added — signals strong advisory support as the plan moves to City Council for adoption on May 21.

Next steps: Watershed staff will develop implementation milestones and a public dashboard, stand up a continuing community advisory body, and present the plan and recommended monitoring framework to City Council during the May 21 meeting.