The Western Catchment Management Authority (WCMA), the successor to the Western Catchment Management Board, was formed in February 2004.

The WCMA is managed by a board of local residents with experience in community engagement and natural resource management issues.  The organisation works with the community to implement catchment action plans and provides information, education, training, and incentives in natural resource management.

The western ‘catchment’ at 230,000 square kilometres is made up of a portion of the Murray-Darling Basin (about one-fifth) along with a sliver (20,000 square kilometres) of the slightly larger Lake Eyre Basin.

Main land-uses in the WCMA include extensive grazing, farming, tourism, mining and conservation.

Western Catchment Management Authority is a statutory authority reporting the New South Wales Minister for Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Natural Resources.