Watershed = the land that water flows across or under on its way to a stream, river or lake
Everyone lives in a watershed! – everything around us is part of our watershed (plants, animals, buildings, roads,
people, etc.)
Sugar Hollow Park is in the Tennessee/Big Sandy Watershed.
Think about where the water goes when it rains on your house.
o Runs off roof and into guttering
o Runs onto the driveway or grass
o Some is absorbed but some runs off – runs off surfaces until it reaches a nearby creek/stream
o Flows to a larger body of water (such as a river or lake)
o Some will eventually end up in the ocean.
Water flows downhill – because of gravity!
The Tennessee River flows to the Ohio River, then onto the Mississippi River, and finally to the Gulf of Mexico
watershed.
Everything we do on our land (watershed) will affect the water that flows through that land (watershed)!!
Pollution (trash/litter, oil/gas spills, chemicals) negatively affects our watershed
Ways to protect our watershed:
o Keep bare soil covered with plants and trees
o Only use the amount of fertilizer needed
o Fix leaks in automobiles
o Clean up pet waste
o No littering
o Recycle, Reuse & Reduce
o Conserve water = use wisely
o Stream cleanups
We can all make a difference!