What is a Watershed?

Isla Pescadora - Baja California Mexico (Goodman, 2018)

Definition

A watershed is an area of land that channels rain water into creeks, streams and rivers. When rain falls on land, some of the water soaks into the ground, some evaporates and some flows over the land towards streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands ultimately ending in the ocean, bay or underground reservoir (Shepardson et al., 2007).

Every place on land is a watershed including where we live, work, play and go to school!

Swatara Creek

One of the subwatersheds that our water flows into.

Swatara Creek @ Schiavoni Park

Sarah Goodman, 2018

Susquehanna River

The basin where water from our county flows into

(pic link)

Chesapeake Bay

The Susquehanna River water ends up in the Chesapeake Bay down in Maryland & Virginia

(pic link)