What is a watershed?

Watershed DiagramA watershed is an area of land in which all surface and groundwater flows downhill to a common point, such as a river, stream, pond, lake, wetland or estuary. An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater. Despite the differences in size, all watersheds share common properties. They all perform the same function of transporting water over the earth's surface. We all live in a watershed. If your feet are on the ground, you're in a watershed.

Show All Answers

1. What is a watershed?
2. Did you know that watersheds encompass lawns, parking lots and streets?
3. What human activities have effects on watersheds?
4. Did you know that watersheds can also have an effect on human life?
5. Are floods a major event in a watershed?
6. Can watersheds also become dry?
7. Did you know that stormwater produces water for our watersheds? What is stormwater and why does it matter?
8. Is stormwater runoff generated in more urban developed areas?
9. Why is stormwater runoff a problem?
10. Can polluted stormwater runoff have adverse effects?
11. Can pollutants on land reach waterbodies that are miles away?