What About WatershedsA watershed is the land area that drains or “sheds” to a lowpoint in the landscape such as to a river, lake or wetland. There are different levels of watersheds from basins to subwatersheds. Think about where the rainfall goes in your yard after a rainfall.  It most likely drains to off into the street, into a storm drain and out into a local stream or lake. That small drainage area can be considered a watershed. So, the quality of water draining off your land directly impacts your local stream and lake quality. There are many activities that impact water quality in watersheds. One of them can be tied directly to the amount of impervious surface in a watershed. Urban areas have many impervious surfaces such as roads, streets, rooftops, parking lots, and even compacted soil. Studies indicate that as the amount of impervious surface increases in urban areas the poorer the stream quality. Visit the Center for Watershed Protection for more details. Large Basin Mississippi Watershed
 Major Iowa Watersheds
 Small Sub-watershed
Watershed Resources |
