Watersheds - Catch the Science Bug

1 Watersheds The area of land that drains into a river system is known as a points in elevation, ridges and hills, form watershed boundaries byseparating the flow of water into two or more Watersheds . For example:water that falls on top of a hill may flow down either side of the hill. Waterthat flows down one side of a hill will most likely enter into one watershedwhile water flowing down the opposite side of a hill will most likely enter intoa different of the most well known divides is the Continental Divide, a continuousline of ridges that runs north to south across North America. Water thatfalls west of the Continental Divide eventually enters the Pacific that falls east of the Continental Divide eventually enters theAtlantic watershed includes not only the water that flows over the surface of theland additionally it includes water that infiltrates the subsurface and flowsunderground into the river land use activities in a watershed can affect the quality of the example, if the water flowing into a river first flows across a road, thewater will dissolve the salt on the road (used for melting snow) and carry thesalt into the river.

2 Other land use activities that can affect the quality ofthe water are: Applications of pesticides and fertilizers Large amounts of manure Leaking underground storage takes (mainly used for oil and gasoline)ActivityResearch the watershed that you live in by visiting: Fillout the following worksheet. This website is maintained by theEnvironmental Protection Agency and it gives a variety of information aboutthe watershed in which you WatershedName of watershed that I live in:_____Total land area of the watershed :_____Total miles of rivers and streams: _____Names of rivers and streams in that watershed :From looking at a map what river appears to be the largest river in yourwatershed:_____Look at a map and trace the main river in your watershed to locate wherethe water from your watershed meets the ocean.

3 Give the name of thatbody of water from this watershed meets salt water in the about this watershed .