K. N. Schneider 2011

What is a Watershed?  It is also known as a Drainage Basin  A couple of definitions:  EPA: “A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place.”  Wikipedia: an extent of land where water …drains downhill into a body of water (river, lake, estuary, wetland, sea or ocean.) The drainage basin includes both the streams and rivers that convey the water as well as the land surfaces from which water drains into those channels, and is separated from adjacent basins by a drainage divide.

The larger the body of water, the larger the watershed. Mississippi River WatershedColorado River Watershed

Russian Dolls and Watersheds? Russian Dolls – each large doll has a smaller doll inside Watersheds – each large watershed is formed by many smaller watersheds.

Who Lives in a Watershed? Everyone! Major US Watersheds

How are Watersheds Different? Each watershed has its own unique characteristics Climate – rainfall, temperature, etc. Geology – elevation, slope, soil, underlying rock, etc. Vegetation – grass, trees, desert Land Use by Humans – forests, wetland, agriculture, urban

Why Should We Care About Watersheds? Because what we do in a watershed affects our water quality and our lives! It affects our water for drinking, municipal, and industrial use It affects flooding and coastal erosion It affects our health It affects the health of ecosystems Healthy ecosystems = Healthy environment = Healthy, happy people

Get into groups of three people. In your group, come up with a collective definition (two or three sentences) of what a watershed is. List the different components (parts) of a watershed. List three ways we depend on watersheds. List three ways we affect watersheds. Each person needs to write down the answers on their own notes! What Do You Know About Watersheds?