A watershed is the land that water flows across, under, or through on its way to a stream, river, lake, wetland or other body of water

1

PARTS OF A WATERSHED

Divide/Ridgeline

Higher ground separating two

adjacent streams or watersheds.

TributarySmaller rivers or streams that flow into a larger river

or stream.

River drains Into a larger

bodyof water

The watershedis surrounded by a divide, or natural,elevated boundary

This larger bodyof water may

be a bay.

2

PARTS OF A WATERSHED

Sediment Materials such as rock fragments & grains that have been transported by wind, water, or glaciers.

Flood PlainFlat, border areas on each side of a river.

Which allows water to spill out / overflow at

times of high flow.The sediment is

carried down stream & settles

out or is deposited into the

bottom of the slower moving

sections of river.

This is the Betsiboka River, Madagascar. Taken

by the Space Shuttle showing the impact of logging . -2002 3

Tributaries that flow into the Chesapeake Bay

Of the 50 major tributaries that feed to the Chesapeake Bay just three deliver almost all the fresh water for the bay.

1. Susquehanna River ~50%2. Potomac River ~ 20%3. James River ~ 15%

*See if you can find them on the next slide!

4

5

Susquehanna River

Potomac River

James River

Major watersheds in Virginia

There are 5 watersheds in Virginia but only 3 major areas where water can flow. 1. Chesapeake Bay2. North Carolina Sound3. Gulf of Mexico

(Mississippi Watershed)

6

1. Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Chesapeake Bay

7

2. NorthCarolina Sounds Watershed

8

3. Gulf of Mexico Watershed

9

TH

E L

AR

GES

T W

ATER

SH

ED

IN V

IRG

INIA

Chesapeake Bay Watershed covers 60% of Virginia. -That equals

64.000 square

miles and covers 6 states!!

10

Watersheds can be Broken Down into Smaller Watersheds…..

Virginia’s Top 5 smaller watershed’s - James (River)-York (River)-Rappahannock (River)- Potomac/Shenandoah (River)- Atlantic Coastal

See if you can locate them in next slide!!!11

Virginia’s Watersheds

12

Potomac River Watershed

Loudoun County

-is part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed System

13

Loudoun County Watersheds

Aldie, Virginia

Where does our water flow? Hint it goes south east…..into the ______________ __________. After that the water flows into the Potomac River.

14

15

Watershed Notes…Answers!!!

watershed

ridgeline divide

tributaries

Flood plainsediment

50

1520

16

5

60%

60,000 6

Potomac

BullPotomac

GroundwaterRunoff

Infiltration

17

Homework Review1st Map

2nd Map

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/education/sol/va-watersheds-bw.pdf18

19

20