Watershed and Wetlands

It is large area of land in which all the water or snowmelt drains to a single stream, river or lake. Watershed

Imagine a drop of water falling from the sky. That drop falls on a hill. It will flow down the hill. Eventually, that drop of water will end up at the point of lowest elevation. The drop could then infiltrate into the ground or flow into a body of water How a watershed works

July 22, 2012Footer text here4 Primary functions of a Watershed Capture – ponds and wetlands - capture and store water for longer periods of time Filtration – forest, fields and wetlands - soak water into soil Storage – underground aquifers, wetlands, lakes and ponds - hold water temporarily or for longer periods of time Conveyance (0r move)– streams, rivers, lakes and ocean – move water to where it is needed to support life

Our Watershed July 22, The Brandywine Creek flows into the Christina River, which eventually flows into the Delaware River, which then drains into the Atlantic Ocean. This means that we all live in more than one watershed. If you live in the Brandywine watershed, you also live in the Christina watershed, the Delaware watershed AND the Atlantic watershed! Brandywine Valley Click the picture to see a video

An area that is regularly saturated by surface water or groundwater. It contains plants that are adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wetlands

7 Wetlands are land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land. Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world—comparable to rain forests and coral reefs. More than half of the plant and wildlife species in Pennsylvania depend upon wetlands for feeding or reproduction.

8 Wetlands do more than provide habitat for plants and animals. They also serve as a critical link between the land and the water—recharging groundwater, absorbing and slowing floodwaters, and filtering runoff and excess nutrients, sediment, and other pollutants.

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10 To learn more click the picture. To find the wetlands near you click the picture

What are Lentic & Lotic water systems? Lentic water systems have still water like you will find in the wetland areas. These are ponds, puddles or canal beds. Lotic water systems have flowing water like you will find as the major parts in a watershed. These are creeks, stream and rivers. July 22, 2012Footer text here11 Click here to test your knowle dge