Watershed Protection

Last modified Thursday, April 12, 2007 9:34

A watershed is the area of land where all of the water drains off of it goes into the same place; it is the area that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, or even the ocean. We all live in a watershed.

Watershed areas that drain to major rivers are typically called river basins and are made up of many smaller watersheds. In the Atlanta region, there are five major river basins. Three of these, the Chattahoochee, Flint and Coosa river basins eventually flow to the Gulf of Mexico. The other two, the Oconee and Ocmulgee drain to the Atlantic Ocean.

It is important to understand a watershed in terms of managing our water resources, since there is a direct link between our activities in a watershed and the health of our rivers, lakes and streams. We need to look at a whole watershed to address pollution as well as protect our drinking water supplies. Effective watershed management is key to protecting and preserving the Atlanta region’s quality of life and economic vitality.