Water Resources
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes. They cross county, state, and national boundaries. In the continental US, there are 2,110 watersheds. Our local watershed is the Marias River Watershed (MRW).
Healthy Watersheds Initiative
EPA’s healthy watersheds approach divides the land into management areas based on watershed boundaries. There are many habitats within these boundaries. All inhabitants (human and otherwise) are affected by changes to their physical world. Variations in water flow and other natural disturbances create a dynamic framework that affects all the other parts of the system.
It is much cheaper to maintain healthy watersheds than it is to restore them. Maximum success in managing watersheds for our benefit occurs when all these pieces are considered together. Using a system approach allows people to balance decisions and prioritize needs.
Information and tools on identifying and protecting healthy watersheds and their components is now available. Learn more at http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/watershed/index.cfm
“Surf” your Watershed
Find your local watershed and see links to lots of watershed-based information for your area of interest. Your Local Watershed (MRW).