Understanding Watersheds

Watersheds are nature’s drainage system.  They are defined as all the land area that is drained by a watercourse and its tributaries.  They come in all shapes and sizes. Some drain millions of hectares others are less than a single hectare. 

Just as streams drain into rivers, lakes and oceans, watersheds are nearly always part of larger watersheds.  For example: the Wilket Creek Watershed is within the Don River Watershed, which is within the Lake Ontario Watershed.  Streams within a watershed are often classified into first, second and third order streams, which drain into a major river or lake.

Understanding the concept of watersheds is another key step to solving the problem of river pollution. The next step is understanding how we have changed our watersheds with sewers.

More: Watersheds in Toronto, Overlap with Regions and Municipalities 

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