Water Shed

Watershed

All the land area that drains into a particular body of water.

Edwards’ Aquifer

A specific watershed located in the Hill Country region.

Area & Length

Factors that determine the volume of water and the time it takes to move through a watershed.

Slope

A characteristic that affects the speed of water drainage and erosion rates.

Soils

Influence how water drains and the extent of erosion within a watershed.

Groundwater

Refers to the amount of water filtered through soil versus water that runs off the surface.

Land cover/use

Impacts the drainage speed and materials carried by water in a watershed.

Impermeable surface

Surfaces like parking lots and houses that prevent water from passing through.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems, valued at 10-15 trillion dollars.

Provisioning services

Products obtained from ecosystems, such as timber, food, and medicine.

Cultural services

Nonmaterial benefits from ecosystems, including education and recreational activities.

Regulating services

Benefits from the regulation of ecosystem processes, like climate regulation and pest control.

Supporting services

Necessary services for the production of other ecosystem services, such as nutrient recycling and biodiversity maintenance.

Functions of Healthy Watershed

Include provisioning, cultural, regulating, and supporting services that sustain life.

Carbon sequestration/storage

A supporting service provided by forests that captures carbon dioxide.

Channelization

A process that alters waterways, affecting fish habitats and oxygen levels.

Eutrophication

Nutrient pollution leading to excessive algae growth, harming aquatic ecosystems.

Dead zone

An area in water bodies with low oxygen levels, resulting in the death of aquatic life.

Dam

A structure that holds water and can disrupt wildlife movement and aquatic species populations.

Hydrodynamics

The study of water movement, which can affect benthic habitats due to sedimentation.