River Systems and Watersheds

Rivers and Streams River systems are made up of tributaries of smaller streams that join along their course. Rivers and streams generally have wide flat border areas, called flood plains, onto which water spills out at times of high flow. Rivers and streams carry and deposit sediment (load). As water flow decreases in speed, the size and amount of sediment it carries decreases.

Watersheds A watershed is land that water flows across or through on its ways to a stream, lake, wetland, or other body of water. Ridgelines and divides separate watersheds.

The Continental Divide separates the waters flowing to the Atlantic Ocean from the waters flowing to the Pacific Ocean.

Virginia’s Watersheds

Virginia has five regional watersheds. The three major regional watersheds are- Chesapeake Bay North Carolina Sounds Mississippi/ Gulf of Mexico The Chesapeake Bay is the largest. We live in the Gulf of Mexico watershed.

Virginia has 14 major watersheds. We live in the Holston River watershed. The three major tributaries to the Holston River watershed are- North Fork of the Holston River Middle Fork of the Holston River South Fork of the Holston River.

James River is the largest. Yadkin is the smallest.

Southwest Virginia’s watersheds.

Guided Questions Watersheds What is a watershed? Why study watersheds in marine science? What are the parts of a watershed? How many major watershed are found in Virginia? How many watersheds found in South Carolina? Check the EPA website What is the name of Chesnee’s watershed? What is the watershed in my classroom? How could we find out? Why are there so many watersheds within watersheds? Where does the watershed of any area ultimately end? Trace Chesnee’s watershed to the ocean from the small creek behind Chesnee Middle School. Use Google Earth