Lessons from the Bay : About the Watershed—An Instructional Framework

IV. Elements of a Watershed
 
 
 
  1. General information about watersheds
     
    1. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a water body such as a river, lake, or bay. Watershed boundaries are defined geographically as a ridge or line of highest elevation towards areas of lower elevation; the stream or lake is where the surface and subsurface waters collect and flow towards the watershed outlet.
       
    2. Watersheds can be small or large, and most are interconnected, working together as a system.
       
    3. A watershed system eventually drains into the ultimate water bodies—the oceans.
       
    4. Every place on the earth is a part of a watershed.
       
    5. There are many living and non-living things in watersheds.
       
    6. Watersheds are constantly changing.
       
    7. Much of Virginia lies within the Chesapeake Bay watershed, which also includes parts of Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia.
       
  2. Chesapeake Bay
     
    1. Like other bays, the Chesapeake Bay is a body of water partly enclosed by land, but having a wide outlet to the sea.
       
    2. About half of the Chesapeake Bay’s water comes from the Atlantic Ocean. The rest comes from approximately 150 rivers and streams in the Bay’s watershed, with 50% of its freshwater coming from the Susquehanna River.
       
    3. The Bay is about 200 miles long and ranges from 3.4 miles to 35 miles in width.
       
    4. More than 3,600 species of plants, fish, and animals live in the Bay, and 29 species of waterfowl make their home there. The Bay also serves as a major stopping place for one million waterfowl each winter.
       
    5. The Bay’s Eastern Shore is a critical resting stop for migratory songbirds and raptors.
       
  3. Rivers
     
    1. A river is a large natural stream of water emptying into an ocean, lake, or other body of water, and usually fed along its course by converging tributaries.
       
    2. Some major rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are the James, the York, the Rappahannock, the Potomac, the Patuxent, and the Susquehanna.
       
  4. Streams
     
    1. A stream is a body of water flowing in a natural channel and containing water at least part of the year.
       
    2. Some Virginia streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are Bull Run, Cat Point Creek, and Craig Creek.
       
  5. Ground water
     
    1. Ground water is water that flows or seeps downward and saturates soil or rock, supplying springs and wells.
       
    2. Ground water is stored underground in rock crevices and in the pores of geologic materials that make up the Earth’s crust.
       
  6. Wetlands
     
    1. A wetland is a lowland habitat, such as a marsh, swamp, or bog, that has periodically waterlogged soils or is covered with a shallow layer of water resulting in reduced soil conditions yet still permits standing vegetation.
       
  7. Estuaries
     
    1. An estuary is a place where fresh and salt water mix; it is a place where a river enters an ocean.
       
    2. Examples of estuaries are a salt marsh and a bay, such as the Chesapeake Bay.
       
    3. The Chesapeake Bay is an estuary because it opens to the Atlantic Ocean near Norfolk, Virginia.
       
    4. Of the 130 estuaries in the United States, the Chesapeake Bay is the largest.
       
  8. Ponds
     
    1. A pond is a body of water smaller than a lake.
       
    2. Closed ponds are created when rainwater gathers in large puddles (vernal pools).
       
    3. Open ponds may be formed by a beaver dam or by a human-constructed dam.

Resources
American Rivers. <http://www.amrivers.org/>.

“Characteristics of Good Watersheds.” Rivers Online. <http://rol.freenet.columbus.oh.us/1goodsheds.html>.

A Chesapeake Bay Primer. Bay Link. <http://www.baylink.org/fieldtrips/primer.html>.

Habitats. Chesapeake Bay Program. <http://www.chesapeakebay.net/habitats.htm>.

Surf Your Watershed. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. <http://www.epa.gov/surf/>.


Next: V. The Chesapeake Bay as an Ecological System

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“About the Watershed” includes:
  I.  The History of the Chesapeake Bay and
  its Watershed
  II.  Geology of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  III.  Water and Sediments
  IV.  Elements of a Watershed
  V.  The Chesapeake Bay Watershed as an
  Ecological System
  VI.  Conservation, Restoration, and Stewardship
  of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
  VII.  Chesapeake Bay Watershed Issues and
   Trends: Alternatives and Consequences
  VIII.  Careers for Water Enthusiasts
 

Print version of “About the Watershed”: PDF · Word
 
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Lessons from the Bay includes:
 · Process Model
 · About the Watershed—An Instructional Framework
 · Lesson Plans
 · Project Action Guide
 · Glossary of Wetland Terms