We all live in a watershed. A watershed is an area that drains into a river, lake, or bay. It includes the entire area--grass, forests, houses, roads, towns. Everything.
The size of the watershed depends on the river, lake, or ocean you’re talking about. Some watersheds are huge. For example, a huge watershed covering a large section of the United States drains into the Mississippi River.
A big watershed is made up of many small watersheds. The watershed draining into a small stream might just cover a small part of the county where you live.
Also, watersheds are divided by boundaries called “drainage divides.” When rain falls on one side of the boundary, it flows one direction. When rain falls on the other side of the boundary, it flows a different direction.
A watershed is a wide area that drains into a river or lake.
Photo: USDA NRCS