Watersheds

Key Terms Watershed Drainage basin Floodplain Deposition Runoff/storm water runoff Point-source pollution Nonpoint-source pollution

What is a watershed? An area of land that drains water to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, or even the ocean -- and our individual actions can directly affect it. Another name for a watershed is a drainage basin. The water that drains from the land is called runoff or storm water runoff.

What does a watershed look like?

What are the parts of a watershed? Runoff Floodplain Streams Creeks Lakes Ponds Rivers Deltas Swamps Wetlands Estuaries People Plants Animals

What is runoff/storm water runoff? Water that drains from the land--from rain or from snowmelt. Every time it rains the water that falls to the ground and makes its way to creeks, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.

What is a floodplain? An area along a river that forms from deposition, sediments deposited when rivers overflow. Floodplains are rich farming areas because floodwaters deposit new soil to the land.

Why are watersheds important? Watersheds directly affect water quality, whether it's for drinking or recreation. For example, algae blooms from fertilizer runoff draining into water harm watershed health, as do mercury and lead seeping into the water supply due to pollution. Jubiliee, red tide

Jubilee at Weeks Bay: low oxygen caused by too much organic matter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jubilee-Mobile-Bay-Alabama-crabs-flounders.jpg

Red Tide: caused by red algae bloom; very toxic; shellfish consumed can give you PSP—paralytic shellfish poisoning

What does a watershed affect? Watersheds affect wildlife, plants and people. A polluted water supply can become harmful to humans and animals. Aquatic life quickly suffers the effects of watershed pollution, while new pollutants introduced into ecosystems alter wildlife habitats.

What does a watershed affect? Pollution decreases biodiversity by eliminating some species and introducing new, invasive ones that destroy the native species. That, in turn, can affect the food chain, from microbial organisms that feed birds and animals to fish that feed humans.

What are the two main types of pollution? Point-source pollution Nonpoint-source pollution

Point-source pollution Pollution that comes from a specific site. Examples: chemical plants, factories, sewage treatment plants

Mutated animals from polluted waters

Nonpoint-source pollution Pollution that is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters, and even our underground sources of drinking water.

Nonpoint-source pollution These pollutants include: Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from agricultural lands and residential areas; Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and energy production. Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop and forest lands, and eroding stream banks. Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from abandoned mines. Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and faulty septic systems.

Do we live in a watershed? If you live in the city of Mobile you live in a watershed-the Dog River watershed. If you live in the state of Alabama you live in a watershed-The Mobile River Basin.

Dog River Watershed

Mobile River Basin The Mobile River Basin is the drainage basin for the majority of the state of Alabama. The Mobile River Basin drains water from Alabama and parts of Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee with the help of 13 different rivers and draining more than 45,000 acres of land. The Basin's rivers and streams provide a wide variety of natural habitats for plants and animals, supporting aquatic communities among the most diverse in North America with numerous fish, mussels, snails, turtles, crustaceans, and aquatic insects, some found nowhere else in the world.

What does the Mobile Drainage Basin look like?

Where does all of the water end up that drains into the Mobile River Basin? The water drains into the creeks, streams and rivers of Alabama and surrounding states and empties into the Gulf of Mexico through Mobile Bay.

Why is a healthy watershed important to people in Mobile? The watershed is an important part of our lives. The health of the watershed affects our food supply, especially in coastal Alabama. We eat fish, shrimp and oysters that come from the waters that drain from the watershed. Our local economy relies on a healthy watershed to provide income to people who rely on fish, shrimp and oysters to support their families.