Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
86th Annual Meeting of SWCD Directors
September 28 to 30, 2026 · Kalahari Resort, Round Rock, Texas · Hosted by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board
The Annual Meeting of Texas Soil and Water Conservation District Directors is the yearly gathering of the people who run conservation work at the local level in Texas. SWCD directors, district employees, and conservation partners come together to examine the issues facing the state’s natural resources, with speakers from the local, state, and national levels covering a wide range of agricultural and conservation topics. This year’s theme is “Stewardship Through Every Season.”
For anyone working with landowners, irrigation, or rural water in Texas, this is where district leadership from across the state’s five SWCD areas sets priorities for the year ahead and where the practical questions about water on working land get discussed.
What attendees can expect
- Educational sessions covering agricultural and conservation topics from local, state, and national speakers
- The Conservation Awards Program Luncheon recognizing Texas Conservation Award winners
- Exhibitor showcases and time on the tradeshow floor
- District and association business meetings
- Ladies’ Auxiliary breakfast, business meeting, and a morning of bowling at Kalahari’s on-site lanes
- Networking with conservation directors, agency representatives, and partners from throughout Texas
On the 2026 program
The week opens Sunday, September 27 with the SWCD Director and Employee Workshop, held at the same venue and listed separately by TSSWCB. The TSSWCB board meeting follows early Monday morning. From there the schedule runs through general sessions, the awards luncheon, exhibitor time, and business meetings across Monday and Tuesday. A conservation tour is offered Monday and the ticketed bowling activity runs Tuesday, September 29. The full tentative schedule is posted on the TSSWCB annual meeting page.
Much of what gets discussed here sits close to the ground that well and pump work runs on. Water supply enhancement, irrigation efficiency, drought response, and the data districts rely on to plan around all of it are recurring themes at this meeting.
Who should attend
- SWCD directors and district employees
- Landowners, producers, and irrigators working with their local district
- Well drillers, pump companies, and water technology vendors
- NRCS, TSSWCB, and other agency staff
- Engineers, planners, and conservation consultants
- Anyone working on soil and water conservation in Texas
Registration and lodging
Pre-registration is open through TSSWCB and closes September 4. Registration is $250 for directors and guests and includes the Monday night dinner and the Tuesday awards luncheon. Online registration carries a convenience fee, and the refund deadline is September 11.
The room block at Kalahari Resort is $209 per night for single or double occupancy with a reduced $20 resort fee. Sunday night typically sells out, and TSSWCB maintains a waitlist by email for rooms that open up. A credit card and one night’s deposit are required at booking, with a maximum of three rooms per reservation session.Regency Hill Country Resort is currently sold out, with a waitlist available through TAGD for rooms that open up.
Connecting with NightOwl in Round Rock
Sean Trapp, NightOwl Monitoring’s VP of Sales and Marketing, will be attending. NightOwl builds remote monitoring hardware and software that reports water level, flow, and pressure from the wellhead, which is the information districts and landowners are usually collecting by hand, one site visit at a time.
If you are planning to be in Round Rock, connect with Sean ahead of the meeting. It is an easier conversation to have before the week gets busy.
Event Location: Kalahari Resorts & Conventions 3001 Kalahari Blvd. Round Rock, TX 78665
Sean Trapp
Co-Founder
Connect with Sean on LinkedIn before Sep 27th.
