The Token Creek Watershed Association (TCWA) is a citizen-driven effort formed in March 1997 to seek collaborative ways of preserving and/or improving watershed conditions so that involved residents can proudly pass on the stewardship of the area to their children and grandchildren.

The TCWA recognizes that the Token Creek Watershed is a special place to live. The watershed comprises a 27 square mile area of Dane County landscape whose waters drain into Token Creek. The watershed basin lies between Sun Prairie and DeForest and drains snowmelt and rainfall into Cherokee Marsh and eventually Lake Mendota. Although situated just north of the most rapidly growing metropolitan area in Wisconsin, The watershed is still dominated by the rolling green hills of local farms and flows into the largest wetland in Dane County, Cherokee Marsh. Token Creek itself originates from some of the most productive springs in Southern Wisconsin and provides more base flow to Lake Mendota than any of the lake's other tributaries.

The natural beauty and ideal location of Token Creek continues to attract tremendous growth to the watershed. Local residents are concerned about potential changes to the creek and the surrounding land. In March 1997, the watershed community gathered at the forum to agree upon strategies for caring for the scenic, recreational and envoronmental qualities of the area in the future. The forum attendees included farmers, developers, business people, local government representatives, educators, new residents, and long-time landowners. An essential part of the Token Creek Forum came when the participants were asked to remember the past and then recognize current trends. In this way, the participants created a common past and a shared understanding of present trends. From that common ground, the watershed residents collaborated to envision a future in the watershed that they would want for their children. They arrived at common themes to work toward, including the desire for trail and bike path links, improved water quality, intergovernmental collaboration, and enhanced public spaces. Five citizen work groups were formed to address these common goals and issues of concern. Most importantly, the participants established a new community, a watershed community, and the Token Creek Watershed Association was born.