Science- Watershed
Students observe the phenomenon of water runoff in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and explore environmental challenges in the region. Students evaluate current resources on the state of the Bay to identify interactions among Earth systems. |
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What is a Watershed?
No matter where you are, you are in a watershed.A watershed is an area where the water above-ground and below-ground drains to the same stream, river, lake, bay or ocean.
Watersheds can be very small, such as the watershed for the stream that may flow through your local park. These small streams join together to form larger and larger waterways with larger and larger drainage areas like the Chesapeake Bay and Mississippi River watersheds.
The graphic above shows the process of water entering the watershed. When it rains, all of the water drains to one body of water. It falls on land and travels to a stream and eventually a river that empties into a lake or ocean. Water also soaks into the ground to add to groundwater and underground rivers.
Montgomery County is in the larger Chesapeake Bay watershed. This means all of the water that comes through, or is from here, goes to the Chesapeake Bay. We also have parts of the Potomac River watershed and the Patuxent River watershed located within our county.
Montgomery County has over 1,500 miles of streams. Pretty impressive!
There are two major watersheds within the County: the Potomac River watershed, which covers 88% of the County, and the Patuxent River watershed, which covers the other 12%.
How the land and streams are cared for upstream has a significant impact not only to our local environment but to the ecosystem downstream as well.
No matter where you are, you are in a watershed.A watershed is an area where the water above-ground and below-ground drains to the same stream, river, lake, bay or ocean.
Watersheds can be very small, such as the watershed for the stream that may flow through your local park. These small streams join together to form larger and larger waterways with larger and larger drainage areas like the Chesapeake Bay and Mississippi River watersheds.
The graphic above shows the process of water entering the watershed. When it rains, all of the water drains to one body of water. It falls on land and travels to a stream and eventually a river that empties into a lake or ocean. Water also soaks into the ground to add to groundwater and underground rivers.
Montgomery County is in the larger Chesapeake Bay watershed. This means all of the water that comes through, or is from here, goes to the Chesapeake Bay. We also have parts of the Potomac River watershed and the Patuxent River watershed located within our county.
Montgomery County has over 1,500 miles of streams. Pretty impressive!
There are two major watersheds within the County: the Potomac River watershed, which covers 88% of the County, and the Patuxent River watershed, which covers the other 12%.
How the land and streams are cared for upstream has a significant impact not only to our local environment but to the ecosystem downstream as well.