The importance of raising watershed awareness
The snowpack (annual mountain snowfall slow to melt in the summer) in the Sierra Nevada is critical for California's water supply.
After an unusually dry and warm winter, March and April provided us with much-needed storms. The snowpack increased, although not to the point where we can feel free and clear of a potential drought this upcoming summer!
Thinking about our current water situation recently brought up a conversation amongst my co-workers. We observed that many people here in the mountains (and elsewhere) are unaware that while its true that the quality and quantity of the water in our life-giving rivers and streams is affected by the yearly total of rain and snow, it is also dependent on human actions that affect our local watershed. This need for awareness has spurred a growing movement in this country to increase the understanding of what a watershed is, that we all live in one, and that what we do can affect its health.
So…what is a watershed (and how do we affect it)?
A basic sketch of a watershed's elements.
A watershed is an area of land that collects water from rain or snow that drains to the same place. The water collected in the watershed seeps into the ground or flows into rivers, streams, and lakes. A watershed can be thought of on a small to a large scale.
Unmaintained roads can add large amounts of sediment to creeks and rivers, harming the habitat for important fish and amphibian species.
If you have a stream in your backyard, you might think about the sources of water for that particular stream, and think of those as a watershed for the stream. You could also think about the river that that stream flows into, and all the other streams contributing to that river, and those would be part of that river’s watershed. That river could flow into a larger river which eventually runs into the ocean, making the river part of the ocean’s watershed.
What does that mean? Through watersheds, we are all connected! When our forests are clearcut, or we add more paved roads, or leaky septic systems go unrepaired- these things can wash pollutants and sediments into our rivers, lakes, reservoirs – and the availability of clean water for people and wildlife is diminished. It’s important to raise awareness of how we as people can harm or improve our local watersheds. Knowing that our actions can cause problems, we can support solutions that help us to live in better balance. The Center for Watershed Protection has a great website to help raise awareness about what a watershed is, why they are important, and how we can better protect it.
Connecting with our local watershed.
What watershed do you live in? Where I live (Tuolumne County), there are many local creeks which drain into the major rivers (the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and the Clavey) within our county’s mountains. Twain Harte Creek, Sullivan Creek, Rose Creek, Deer Creek, and Woods Creek are just a few of the creeks that may ring a bell for local residents. And there are many smaller seasonal creeks and wet meadows which contribute to those creeks.
Meadows can be important natural aquifers for a watershed, but when they are degraded they lose their ability to retain water and dry out.
As you drive up and down through the hills it can be interesting to try and visualize what particular drainage you are in at that moment. Practicing this, I find my awareness of the layout of our land in this region as well as the many watersheds I move in and out of has grown. I really enjoy it! I encourage you to try it as well. It helps to have a map you can refer to with the creeks and rivers in your area on it. I found an amazing interactive watershed map online, on the Calflora website. Check it out here if you want to really see your watershed. As I get better connected with the watersheds in my area, I also have become more aware of how many impacts each and every creek and river within a watershed endures.
What watershed do you live in? What are threats to your watershed, and what can you do to help protect it?
-Julia Stephens, CSERC Blogger
