Watersheds

=Watersheds = Watersheds are land areas that channel water to a particular location, such as a river, lake, ocean or other body of water. Watersheds vary in size, and each smaller watershed is part of a larger one. For example, a small stream has its own watershed and so does the river into which that stream feeds. The watershed that encompasses the Mississippi River is enormous, covering two-thirds of the North American continent. To understand what a watershed is, imagine what occurs at higher elevations. The flow from rain, snowmelt, and natural underground springs form the headwaters of area streams. As water moves downstream, it feeds into successively larger bodies of water, like rivers and lakes, eventually flowing out into the ocean. Because watersheds ?catch? and ?drain? the water, they are also referred to as drainage basins or catchment areas. Because these drainage basins are part of an integrated network with no clear boundaries, they are especially vulnerable to changes in the balance of the ecosystem. A pollutant that enters at the headwaters not only can disturb the area at the point of entry, it can also affect each source of water into which the tributaries drain. However, watersheds are also valuable in that some parts, wetlands in particular, provide a buffer zone in which many nutrients and sediments are filtered. Given the importance of watershed management, especially with respect to water supply and quality, resources should be managed from the perspective of the watershed, in an integrated fashion, rather than focusing on resources in an immediate area.   Introduction to Watershed Ecology

This EPA training module introduces terms and concepts associated with watershed ecology, describes the structure and function of watersheds, and provides examples of current issues in watershed ecology.  Science in Your Watershed

The USGS site helps to locate scientific information organized on a watershed basis. The information includes links to related EPA information, as well as that of the Conservation Technology Information Center.

DATA & MAPS
 Surf Your Watershed

This EPA site provides information on local watersheds. Enter a zip code and links will be given with profile and activity information on that watershed.

LAWS & TREATIES
 The Clean Water Act

This is the major law regulating water quality in the United States, estab­lishing a framework for regulating discharges of water pollutants.  Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">This 1977 Act and its amendments provide for a continuing appraisal of U.S. soil, water and related resources, including fish and wildlife habitats, and a soil and water conservation program to assist landowners and land users in furthering soil and water conservation.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">FOR THE CLASSROOM
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> A Living Watershed

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Using the local watershed as a classroom, students conduct labs, field work, research, and prepare written and oral presentations in this Access Excellence activity by Alonda Droege. [Grades 9-12] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Groundwater Unit Outline with Culminating Project

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In this Access Excellence project by Kathy Paris, students learn about groundwater and watersheds, how septic tanks work, and how pollutants affect biological systems. [Grades 9-12] <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> The Internet Watershed Educational Tool (InterWET)

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">InterWET is a complex web-based hydrologic model that uses special calculators to enable the learner to discover the relationships between changing chemical and physical factors in the watershed and each water resource component. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Rivers 2001

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The National Geographic Society has developed a K-12 education program focused on river conservation. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> PBS Teacher Source: Rivers of Destiny

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">These PBS videos and lessons explore how human activity has altered the natural course and condition of four famous rivers: the Mississippi, Amazon, Jordan, and Mekong Rivers. Not all lessons require the video.

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