The Pontchartrain Conservancy was established in response to environmental concerns voiced throughout the Basin.

Most of the environmental problems that challenge the Basin were well recognized by the mid-1970s, yet there was no common effort towards restoration. Small groups of concerned citizens won some local battles but were unable to direct the large-scale changes that were necessary to save the Basin from further degradation.

Over 90 governmental and regulatory entities were charged with managing the Basin, increasing the difficulty of Basin-wide restoration efforts.

In the spring of 1989, a report called "To Restore Lake Pontchartrain", written by professors at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, called for the establishment of an entity whose sole focus would be a healthy Lake and Basin. That report became the rallying point for a citizen-led effort that resulted in the formation of Pontchartrain Conservancy that same year.