What is a Watershed, and Why Should I Care?

Communities across the nation are finding that their water resources are degrading in response to growth and development. They are also discovering that they can only protect these local water resources by thinking on a watershed-level. While the settings and resource issues that drive local watershed protection are diverse, communities often find that many of the same tools and techniques appear to work in every watershed. Watersheds are important to any community because they embody our sense of place in the landscape, and their waters are important in our daily life.

Communities find many reasons to protect local watersheds-whether it is because of economic benefits, recreation, flood prevention, scenery or the overall quality of life. Different groups of people often have their own unique rationale for protecting watersheds. Some may place a high value on the aquatic biological community living in these waters, while others will be more concerned about reducing stream channel erosion to the real estate in their back yard. Regardless of the reasons, it is clear that most communities now recognize the value of local watershed protection.