We Must Protect Our Watersheds to Preserve Our Most Precious Resource

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We Must Protect Our Watersheds to Preserve Our Most Precious Resource

by Derek Markham in Freshwater Ecosystems, Videos

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A watershed, also known as a catchment or drainage basin, is the area of land where water from precipitation (either rain or snow) drains downhill into a body of water, such as a stream, river, reservoir, wetland, sea or ocean. Protecting these watersheds from pollution, erosion, and runoff of agricultural or industrial contaminants is essential for our survival.

Photo by nicholas_t

Watershed

The watershed includes both the bodies that convey the water (rivers, streams, etc.) as well as the land area from which water drains. Watersheds are separated from adjacent catchments by a drainage divide. The following video is a great introduction to the idea of a watershed:

No matter where you live, you are in a watershed. If we don’t manage our watersheds wisely, we risk losing access to clean water, and everything downstream from us will also be affected by our actions (or non-action).

Watershed resources links:

Surf your watershed with a searchable map from the EPA to find active groups working on watershed issues near you.
Watershed Management Council
Center for Watershed Protection
National Resources Conservation Service
USGS Water Resources
National Wetlands Inventory
National Groundwater Association

Posted on Mar 07, 2009

Tags:

catchment, drainage basin, freshwater, groundwater, surface water, watersheds

About the Author

Derek Markham

Derek Markham is husband, father, and writer based in Colorado, with a passion for all things sustainable. For the last ten years, he's worked in the natural foods industry, most recently running a small co-operative grocery store. Derek enjoys sharing tips, lessons learned, and resources for going green, simple living, and natural parenting. In his personal time, he loves to ride his bike (an 80s Trek singlespeed), go bouldering and slacklining, and he can usually be found in the middle of about ten different books. You can also find him on other sites including Twitter, Twilight Earth, Natural Papa, and Green Options.