Explore Your Watershed
Before we get carried away trying to protect our watershed , we ’ d better do some exploring to find out where contamination might come from .
Gravity pulls our watershed together . Water flows from high spots to low spots . Sometimes this is dramatic — think waterfall — and other times it ’ s subtle .
Commonly , we think of major rivers as watersheds . The Colorado , South Platte , Rio Grande and Arkansas are examples of major rivers that originate in our state .
This is true , but there are also smaller rivers and creeks . Each is a smaller watershed that is part of the big picture . Some may only have water in them for short periods during the year .
To find your watershed , visit https :// water . usgs . gov / wsc / map _ index . html
What is your nearest creek ?
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What is your nearest major river ?
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What is the name of your nearest lake ?
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What cities are upstream from your area ? __________________________ __________________________
What cities and states are downstream from your area ?
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How much rainfall does your community receive during an average year ?
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Where is the nearest water treatment facility ?
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List 10 things water is used for in your watershed :
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List 10 species of wild animals in your area :
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List five food plants a farmer in your area might grow :
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Name five possible sources of runoff pollution :
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Internet tip : If you ’ re having trouble finding resources , you might try http :// www . coloradowater . org or http :// co . water . usgs . gov
Watershed Defenders produced by Colorado Agriculture in the Classroom 5