Introduction & What is a Watershed?

Watersheds are naturally created units of land defined by landforms we find all around us, the ridges and peaks that separate surface water flows into different basins.  The arroyos, creeks, streams, and rivers that result at the lowest point in the basins are often connected to the lands higher in the watershed via spring fed groundwater.  Learning about your watershed is a way of having more information to help protect your water and security.  The three images below show different ways to draw a watershed with the two black and white ones showing the same Glorieta watershed.