1. A watershed is the land that water flows across, under, or through on its way to a stream, river, lake, wetland or other body of water

2. is surrounded by a divide, or natural,
PARTS OF A WATERSHED
Tributary
Smaller rivers or
streams that flow
into a larger river
or stream.
Divide/
Ridgeline
Higher ground
separating two
adjacent streams
or watersheds.
This larger body
of water may
be a bay.
River drains
Into a larger
body
of water
The watershed
is surrounded by a divide, or natural,
elevated boundary

3. This is the Betsiboka River,
PARTS OF A WATERSHED
Flood Plain
Flat, border areas on
each side of a river.
Which allows water to
spill out / overflow at
times of high flow.
The sediment is
carried down
stream & settles
out or is deposited
into the
bottom of the
slower moving
sections of river.
Sediment
Materials such as
rock fragments &
grains that have
been transported
by wind, water, or
glaciers.
This is the Betsiboka River,
Madagascar. Taken
by the Space Shuttle
showing the impact
of logging

4. Tributaries that flow into the Chesapeake Bay
Of the 50 major tributaries that feed to the Chesapeake Bay just three deliver almost all the fresh water for the bay.
1. Susquehanna River ~50%
2. Potomac River ~ 20%
3. James River ~ 15%
*See if you can find them on the next slide!

5. Susquehanna River
Potomac River
James River

6. Major watersheds in Virginia
There are 5 watersheds in Virginia but only 3 major areas where water can flow.
Chesapeake Bay
North Carolina Sound
Gulf of Mexico (Mississippi Watershed)

7. 1. Chesapeake Bay Watershed Chesapeake Bay

8. 2. North Carolina Sounds Watershed

9. 3. Gulf of Mexico Watershed

10. The Largest Watershed In Virginia
Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 60% of Virginia.
That equals square miles and covers 6 states!!

11. Watersheds can be Broken Down into Smaller Watersheds…
Watersheds can be Broken Down into Smaller Watersheds….. Virginia’s Top 5 smaller watershed’s - James (River) -York (River) -Rappahannock (River) - Potomac/Shenandoah (River) - Atlantic Coastal See if you can locate them in next slide!!!

12. Virginia’s Watersheds

13. Potomac River Watershed
Loudoun County
Potomac River Watershed
-is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed System

14. Loudoun County Watersheds
Aldie, Virginia
Where does our water flow? Hint it goes south east…..into the ______________ __________.
After that the water flows into the Potomac River.

15. Watershed Notes…Answers!!!
ridgeline
divide
tributaries
Flood plain
sediment 50 20 15

16. 5
60%
60,000 6
Potomac
Bull
Potomac
Groundwater
Runoff
Infiltration

18. Homework Review 2nd Map 1st Map

21. 2nd Map: Find Loudoun County on your map and outline it in RED

22. Virginia’s Watersheds
Potomac Watershed

23. The Major Rivers In Virginia

24. Virginia’s Rivers drain into five different places
Atlantic Ocean
Chesapeake Bay NC
Sounds
Yadkin
Mississippi River

25. Loudoun County Watersheds

26. Goose Creek Watershed

27. Goose Creek

28. Catoctin Watershed

30. Activity: Location and Size of Virginia Watersheds

31. Sources: http://www.savethebay.org/land/landuse/maps/wash-region.gif

33. HOMEWORK

34. Potomac River Watershed is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed System
Loudoun County
Potomac River Watershed is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed System

35. Zip codes: or 20105
Middle Potomac - Catoctin Watershed
Middle Potomac – Anacostia-Occoquan Watershed

36. Catoctin Watershed

37. Anacostia – Occoquan Watershed

39. Get out your Vocabulary (Item 2)
6. Runoff
7. Ground
Water
8. Aquifer
1. Watershed 2. Divide 3. Tributary 4. Bay 5. Estuary

40. Watershed An area of land in which precipitation collects and
then flows
and drains
into one
body of water.

41. is surrounded by a divide, or natural,
PARTS OF A WATERSHED
3. Tributary
Smaller rivers or
streams that flow
into a larger river
or stream.
2. Divide
Higher ground
separating two
adjacent streams
or watersheds.
This larger body
of water may
be a bay.
River drains
Into a larger
body
of water
The watershed
is surrounded by a divide, or natural,
elevated boundary

42. 4. Bay A body of water partly enclosed by land, but having a wide outlet to the sea.

43. Other Bays in the U.S.
Tampa Bay
San Francisco Bay
Bay of Fundy

44. 5. Estuary A place where fresh and salt water mix
5. Estuary A place where fresh and salt water mix. (bay, salt marsh, mouth of a river)

45. Estuary – fresh water meets salt Water

46. 6. Runoff Precipitation that travels across the surface of Earth in streams, rivers, drains, or sewers.

47. 7. Ground Water Water that is stored underground that seeped into the soil, supplying water for springs and aquifers.

48. Aquifer: An underground bed or layer of Earth, gravel, or porous stone that contains water.

49. Use each word in a sentence.
Vocabulary words 1-8 on the back of item # 2