What is a watershed?

In this video produced by the EPA and The Weather Channel you’ll see what some people believe a watershed to be. It is not a place where people go to the bathroom, but, is more like a drain.

Understanding a watershed is tough. I think it is because the name does not fit the definition. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a shared body of water. It could be a stream, lake, river, estuary, aquifer or ocean. What links the land to these water bodies are wetlands.

Each watershed is connected to another watershed. All watersheds eventually lead to the ocean. In the U.S. there are over 2,200 watersheds (including Puerto Rico). They have no restrictions on counties, state or even national border lines.

All watersheds are delicate and their strength is dependent upon 1) what we put in them and 2) how we use them. Follow how I am learning to make less on an impact on my watershed.

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