Your Watershed Address (Colorado River Basin)
Watersheds are areas of land in which all water drains into a common body of water. Because water does not obey political boundaries, watershed maps can cross county, state and even national lines. The size of a watershed can vary, but all bodies of water have one. You can think of watersheds like pieces of a puzzle; each one is part of a larger watershed “picture.” The Colorado River Basin covers parts of seven states and Mexico. It is made up of several smaller watersheds, including the Green River, Gila River and San Juan River Watersheds. Anytime a raindrop falls in one of these watersheds, that raindrop could eventually make its way all the way to the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean!
Viewer Tip: Do you know your watershed address?
- Surf your watershed: Enter your zip code to find out which watershed you live in. http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm.
- Explore your watershed: Take a walk or hike in your community and observe which way water travels. Watershed boundaries are usually the highest points of land from which water flows downhill. Where does rain water end up after it hits the ground? Where does your local stream or river lead?
- Adopt your watershed: Become a volunteer water quality monitor or organize a trash cleanup. Learn more: http://www.epa.gov/adopt/.
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
(Sources: Alles, David L. The Colorado River: An Ecological Case Study in Coupled Human and Natural Systems. Western Washington University. http://fire.biol.wwu.edu/trent/alles/ColoradoRiverIntro.pdf)