A watershed is the area of land that drains into a particular body of water such as a stream, river, lake, or bay. The watershed includes not only the waterway itself, but also the entire land area that drains to it.

 

A watershed can be as small as a backyard that drains to a creek, or as large as sections from several states that drain to the same river. The type of land use (e.g., agriculture, suburban, urban) and its associated activities can have a direct impact on the water quality of the watershed. When it rains, storm water carries with it the effects of human activities as it drains off the land into the local waterway.

“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.”  ~ Thomas Fuller, 1732