1. Watersheds Vocabulary

2. Watershed
An area of land that drains into a central body of water

3. Divide
An area of land that separates one watershed from another

4. Tributary
A river or stream that feeds into a larger river or stream

5. Wetland
An area of land covered with a shallow layer of water (a swamp)

6. Estuary A body of water where freshwater mixes with saltwater
Example - Chesapeake Bay

7. Abiotic Factor
The non-living parts of nature that help living things survive
Examples - dirt, water, rocks

8. Biotic Factor
Living things found in nature that help other living things survive
Examples - plants, fish, deer

9. Ecosystem A working unit of living and non-living things
Examples - forests, ponds, estuaries

10. Pollution Anything that has a negative effect on an ecosystem
Examples - dumping trash in lakes, rainwater runoff down sewer drains

11. Water Quality
Measures how clean the water is