OVER MILLENNIA, the push and pull of water from the Atlantic formed channels that shape our Sea Islands. The health of these coastal waters is directly tied to the condition of the land that drains into them. This land area, known as a watershed, is a natural system in which all rainfall and surface runoff flow downstream into a common water body, such as streams, rivers, estuaries, or ocean waters.
30 • CONSERVANCY OF THE SEA ISLANDS