A watershed is a geographic area of land which “sheds water,” or drains precipitation into a common point - a stream, river, pond, lake or other body of water.
Water that falls on the region drains downhill, over the surface of land and underground (aquifer) and converges into streams and rivers. This network progressively grows larger, eventually reaching the ocean.
It’s Importance
Watershed is an indispensable natural resource. It is more than just a drainage area. It is an ecological system that supports life – a habitat for plants and animals, and most especially a key source of drinking water for people and wildlife. Watershed also provides enjoyment for nature and recreation, such as boating, swimming and fishing.
John Wesley Powell, scientist geographer, put it best when he said that a watershed is:
"that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all living things are inextricably linked by their common water course and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they become part of a community."
Life without watershed is unimaginable. Certainly, protection of watersheds is essential to maintain the health and well being of all living things.
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