What is a Watershed?
A watershed is an area of
land that collects water from rain or snow. The water collected in the
watershed seeps into the ground or flows downstream into rivers, streams, and
lakes. The picture below shows you what a watershed looks like. At the top there are clouds in the sky that
bring precipitation, in the form of rain or snow, down to the Earth. The yellow dotted lines show you where the
high ground is that creates the watershed.
The area of the yellow dotted lines is called a ridgeline which is the high area, or boarder, that separates the watersheds. So, the boundaries of a watershed will be where there is high land
(hills, or mountains) that makes all the water fall into the middle (or, into
the watershed). The blue arrows show
that all the water at the top flows down into the bottom to create the rivers
and the streams in your community. Since all water in the
world is connected, eventually the rivers in your watershed flow out into the
ocean or it seeps into the ground to form groundwater. Some is used by people
and animals then recycled, but most of it flows until it reaches sea level or a
large lake.
Imagine all of the rain
that falls up in the Bradshaw Mountains, the Granite Dells, or the even up near
Thumb Butte... when water hits a steep surface, there is only one way for it to
go: downhill! Water takes the easiest path it can find and eventually all the
water from the highest points come together (runoff) to form small streams
which meet other streams further down and so forth until a river is formed. Click on the USGS map below to go to an interactive
Watershed Learning Activities for Kids
- Interactive Water Filtration
Game: A step-by-step instruction on how to
complete this in class activity complete with narration and visual support. You
can jump from section to section and repeat as necessary.
- Interactive Fun Facts Matching Game:
A flash animated game that lets you match amounts of water to the correct
everyday water usage item and lets you know instantly if you have the right
answer.
- Virtual Tour of a Drinking Water
Treatment Plant: A flash-based step-by-step how water is
treated and delivered to your home or business as water that is safe to drink.
- Interactive Water Cycle:
A flash animated activity that lets you control the water cycle as you learn.
- Interactive Question & Answer
Game: A flash animated game that gives the answer and you
have to choose the correct question from three possible answers. The game lets you
know instantly if you have the right answer.
- Interactive Build Your Own Aquifer: A step-by-step instruction on how to complete
this in class activity complete with narration and visual support. You can jump
from section to section and repeat as necessary.
- Interactive Word Scramble Game:
A flash animated game that lets you unscramble one word in a sentence and lets
you know instantly if you have the right answer.