Watershed Management Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about watershed management.

Watershed

Any topographical area that can collect water and is drained by a river system with an outlet.

Watershed

A basin-like geographical structure bounded by surrounding ridges

Watershed

A land area drained by a stream or fixed body of water and tributaries having a common outlet for surface runoff.

Watershed

An area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific water body

Watershed

An area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel

Watershed

Spatial area from which rain or irrigation water is collected and drained through a common point.

Precipitation

The ultimate source of water to the watershed.

Watershed Divide

Determines the boundary line between adjacent watersheds.

Catchment area

Includes all the land within a watershed that collects and directs precipitation toward streams, rivers or lakes.

Stream Network

The primary water body and its tributaries serve as the drainage system to collect and drain water from the watershed.

Groundwater Aquifer

Water stored in an underlying soils and rock units that contribute to streamflow throughout the year.

Outlet

Lowest point of the watershed where it discharges to another water body.

Watershed Management

The wise use of soil and water resources within a given geographical area so as to enable sustainable production and to minimize floods.

Watershed Management

The rational utilization of land and water resources for optimum production with minimum hazard to natural resources.

Watershed Management

The process of creating and implementing plans, programs and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal and human communities within a watershed boundary.

Land management

Structural, vegetative, production and protection measures for watershed management.

Water management

Rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, maintenance of water balance, prevention of water pollution and economic use of water.

Biomass management

Eco preservation, biomass regeneration, forest management and conservation, plant protection, increased productivity of animals etc.

Water Collection

Captures precipitation and directs it to rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers.

Water Filtration

Soil and vegetation filter pollutants, improving water quality.

Erosion Control

Vegetative cover stabilizes soil, preventing erosion and sedimentation.

Size (Watershed)

Spatial heterogeneity of hydrological processes; watersheds are divided into Small (< 250 km²), Medium (250 to 2500 km²) and Large (> 2500 km²)

Agricultural Watershed

Dominated by crop cultivation, leading to dynamic land-use change and altered infiltration/runoff patterns.

Urban Watershed

Dominated by buildings and impervious surfaces, increasing imperviousness and flood vulnerability.

Mountainous Watershed

High altitudes lead to considerable snowfall, steep gradients, and high surface runoff.

Forest Watershed

Natural forest cover dominates, with significant interception and evapotranspiration, reduced surface runoff.

Desert Watershed

Little to no vegetation, porous soil, minimal stream development, limited groundwater recharge.

Coastal Watershed

Dynamic contact with the sea, influenced by tidal action, high rainfall, and vulnerable to flooding and saltwater intrusion.

Marsh/Wetland Watershed

Flat lands with swamps and marshes, high evaporation, minimal infiltration, most rainfall becomes runoff.

Watershed Hydrologic Cycle

An open system with inputs (precipitation), storages (interception, vegetation storage), transfer/flows (infiltration, runoff), and outputs (evaporation).

Geology (Watershed)

Bedrock formations and rock types influencing runoff and groundwater flow; permeability impacts runoff speed and base run-off during dry periods.

Soil (Watershed)

Material weathered from bedrock mixed with organic matter; properties affect soil fertility, productivity, and erosion.

Topography (Watershed)

Terrain influencing infiltration, runoff, erosion, sedimentation, vegetation type, and flood storage.

Geomorphology

Physical features of the earth surface and their relation to geological structures.

Climate

Prevailing weather conditions influencing the flow, pattern, and shape of streams; rainfall and temperature play crucial roles.

Land Use/Land Cover

Types of vegetation and human activities controlling runoff volume, erosion, sediment loadings, and water quality.

Stream Order

Measure of the degree of branching of streams within a watershed.