ARLINGTON ’ S CREEK SYSTEM
WATERSHED BASICS : Everyone Lives in a Watershed
A watershed is an entire area through which water flows that drains into a common body of water . It includes major and minor creeks , seasonal drainages , storm drains , the riparian corridor , flood plains , and land that water flows over or under on its way to a larger body of water . Everyone on the planet lives in a watershed whether its as small as a backyard or many of thousand square miles .
TAKING A WATERSHED APPROACH
Natural conditions and human activities within a watershed influence the condition of a creek . What takes place in the upper watershed will affect the downstream area . Changes may occur suddenly as the result of a storm or accumulated problems in the watershed may take many decades to develop ( e . g . sedimentation ). Excessive sediment coming from the upper watershed diminishes the functioning of everything downstream .
Taking a watershed approach to creek care means looking carefully at the watershed components , the creek , the streambanks , and the adjacent lands , and understanding how they work together . A healthy watershed has clean creeks , productive riparian corridors , and stable , well-vegetated land . These components keep water quality high , provide fish and wildlife habitat , control erosion , reduce flash flooding , and maintain dry season creek flows . Simply , taking care of each component of a watershed will ultimately benefit the entire creek .
Within the City of Arlington , there are ten ( 10 ) watersheds :
Trinity Tributaries , Lower Village , Upper Village , Johnson , Cottonwood , Rush , Fish , Lynn , Walnut , and Bowman Branch .
5