Everyone Lives in a Watershed
A watershed is a geographic area through which water flows across the land and drains into a common body of water such as a stream , creek , river , lake or ocean .
Rain , snow and ice melt that doesn ’ t soak into the ground runs off impervious surfaces like streets , parking lots , driveways and buildings . This stormwater runoff picks up pollutants and discharges them into the local waterways leading to the degradation of natural water resources and overall ecosystem health .
These pollutants can harm drinking water supplies , wildlife habitat and recreational areas while increasing streambank erosion , sedimentation and flooding .
Everything you do on the land affects the water quality of your watershed .
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