- At the highest points of topography, there is the divide
- One on side, water runs into one watershed, and on the other side, water runs into another
- Divides can be obvious (mountain ranges) or subtle (small hills)
- At the far reaches of the watershed is usually tributaries, small streams and creeks
- These feed into rivers, larger moving bodies of water
- This is the transition zone
- Where rivers flow into the ocean, there is often a delta, where sediment is deposited
- The lowest points where water ends up is the floodplain zone
- Water either runs across the ground until it joins a tributary or river or it percolates through the ground to join groundwater
How Watersheds are Affected by Humans
- Logging causes topsoil erosion, putting more particulates into water sources
- Residential, industrial, and urban centers put urban run off and chemicals into the water
- Livestock and cropland also puts chemicals into the water
- Dams block the natural flow of water, affect fish migration, and deposition at the mouth of the river