What is a Watershed Webquest?

Name:

Access the following link and answer the questions:

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watershed.html

1. What is a watershed? An area of land where all the water that falls in it drains off into a
common outlet.

2. Watersheds can vary in size. True/False True

3. What type of watershed is shown in the map? National 8-digit hydraulic units /
Chesapeake Bay Watershed? (I couldnt tell)

4. The word watershed is sometimes used interchangeably with or . Drainage basin or

catchment.

5. Ridges and hills that separate two watersheds are called the . Drainage divide

6. What does watershed consist of? Surface Water and underlying groundwater.

7. Larger watersheds contain many . It all depends on the

outflow point.

8. What is the outflow point? Land that drains water to it (?)

. Smaller watersheds;

9. Why are watersheds important? The streamflow and water quality of the river they drain
into are affected by what happens by them.

A Watershed is a precipitation collector:

1. Name 6 factors that determine how much of the streamflow will flow by the monitoring site?
Precipitation, infiltration, evaporation, transpiration, storage, and water use by people.
2. What is the greatest factor controlling streamflow? Precipitation

3. The amount of water that will infiltrate (soak in over time) depends on which four characteristics?
Soil characteristics, soil saturation, land cover, and slope of the land.
4. Water from rainfall returns to the atmosphere largely through . Evaporation

5. The root systems of plants absorb water from the surrounding soil in various amounts through the
process of . Transpiration

6.

store water and increase the amount of water that evaporates and infiltrates. Reservoirs

River Basins of N.C.:

http://www.eenorthcarolina.org/riverbasins-interactive.html
Choose one of the NC. River Basins and list out 10 facts about the one you
investigate. Also include one picture that best represents a main feature of
the River Basin.
(Picture on below page)
The New River subbasin is the largest and most populated of the White Oak
River Basin; There are 320 total miles of rivers and streams; Forests and
wetlands cover almost half the basin; The Leatherback Sea Turtle is found in
the White Oak River Basin; Between 1970 and 2000, the population almost
doubled; Many shellfish beds are closed to harvest due to contamination
from runoff; The Onslow Bight has barrier islands, marshes, riverine
wetlands, etc; Some people want the White Oak River to be a National Wild
2

and Scenic River; It is 1,382 square miles; There are 6 counties within the
basin.