Watershed why it is important

Likewise, they must also consider what land uses upstream might be allowing excess sediment to get into the river. Everything happening upstream in the lake's watershed can have an impact on the lake. In most cases, however, the land uses in neighboring watersheds won't have an impact on hypothetical lake. Water runs over land surfaces overland flow and into stream channels when it rains, when snow melts or during irrigation.

Water also seeps into and through the soil and underground groundwater flow. Groundwater does not necessarily always follow the same watershed boundaries as surface water. In fact, groundwater flowing into lakes can sometimes originate from outside the watershed.

Benefits of Healthy Watersheds Home Media Room Watershed Report Card Benefits of Healthy Watersheds Our natural ecosystems are made up of forests, wetlands, water sources, plants and animals, and provide multiple goods and services that contribute to a healthy economy, environment and people.

Human Health : A healthy watershed provides safe drinking water, provides food, enables us to adapt to the impacts of climate change more easily by cooling the air and absorbing greenhouse gas emissions, and provides natural areas for people to keep active and recharge our batteries. Ecological Health : A healthy watershed conserves water, promotes streamflow, supports sustainable streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater sources, enables healthy soil for crops and livestock, and also provides habitat for wildlife and plants.

Residents in the impacted area should continue to BOIL their drinking water until further notice. Residents in the impacted area should BOIL their drinking water until further notice. Watershed Basics. What is a Watershed? Rivers and streams nourish and connect ecosystems throughout the watershed. Wetlands and lakes help to store and filter water, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife.

Upland forests and meadows provide habitat for wildlife and nutrients for aquatic ecosystems, and encourage infiltration of rainwater into the ground. Watershed sources, such as reservoirs and groundwater, supply us with clean water for drinking and irrigation. The various components of watersheds provide opportunities for recreation, tourism, education and aesthetic appreciation.

Our Impact on Watersheds Over the years we have changed many of our natural watersheds into urban watersheds. This case highlights how maintaining and protecting healthy watersheds can reduce capital costs for public services.

In addition, watershed health has been linked to mental and physical health benefits. The National Park Service found that people in healthy watersheds are more likely to exercise, because they have easy access to forests, greenways, parks, and trails USEPA, The distribution of healthy watersheds is uneven across biophysical and socioeconomic categories—better health and economic outcomes consistently correlate with access to ecosystem services USEPA, You can help protect your watershed by integrating good management practices at home and in your community.

Simple steps like properly fertilizing your lawn, appropriately disposing of waste, planting more trees, and harvesting rainwater for garden and lawn irrigation have substantial impacts on watershed health. To make an even larger impact, these principles can be adopted in community-wide agreements and ordinances. The Atlanta Tree Conservation Commission is a citizen board that helps protect, maintain, and regenerate trees.

Through the City of Atlanta Tree Protection Ordinance, citizens are able to reap the benefits of decreased air and noise pollution, reduced energy demand thanks to shading, and an improved community aesthetic Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute et al. Simple and easily implemented strategies are often the ones that have the most immediate impact.

Learning about your property and local watershed is the first step to obtaining good watershed health. There are many organizations within Mississippi that are striving to improve and provide education about watersheds. Below are a few resources you can use to learn more and take action to protect your water. Managing Your Home Watershed. Community Watershed Protection. About the Mississippi River Commission. Allan, J.

Stream ecology: Structure and function of running waters. Ecology Second. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.