New Hampshire Friends of the
Suncook River

What is a Watershed?

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What is a Watershed?
A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place.

As rainwater and melting snow run downhill, they carry sediment and other materials into our streams, lakes, wetlands and groundwater.

Text Box: Definitions: Wetlands: Areas that are covered with water during at least part of the year. They have certain distinctive types of soils, plants, and drainage. They provide habitat for fish and wildlife, help filter pollutants, and control floods Groundwater: Water that is trapped underground in an area of porous material. Most wells tap ground water. This water recharges slowly and is difficult to clean if it becomes contaminated.

A watershed is the area of land where all of the water that is under it or drains off of it goes into the same place. John Wesley Powell, scientist geographer, put it best when he said that a watershed is:

"that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all

living things are inextricably linked by their common water course

and where, as humans settled, simple logic demanded that they

become part of a community."

 

Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes. They cross county, state, and national boundaries. No matter where you are, you're in a watershed!

 Source: http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/whatis.html

Why is Your Watershed Important?


We all live in a watershed. Watersheds are the places we call home, where we work and where we play. Everyone relies on water and other natural resources to exist. What you and others do on the land impacts the quality and quantity of water and our other natural resources.

Healthy watersheds are vital for a healthy environment and economy. Our watershed provides water for drinking, irrigation and industry. Many people also enjoy lakes and streams for their beauty and for boating, fishing and swimming. Wildlife also need a healthy watershed for food and shelter.

Managing the water and other natural resources is an effective and efficient way to sustain the local economy and environmental health.

Scientists and leaders now recognize the best way to protect the vital natural resources is to understand and manage them on a watershed basis. Everything that is done in a watershed affects the watershed's system.

Pollutants and water quality

Text Box: Definitions: Point-source pollution: This originates from the discharge of pollutants from a single, readily identifiable source such as an industrial or sewage discharge pipe. Nonpoint-source pollution: This occurs from widely dispersed land areas and is carried in runoff water from a field, forest, or urban area into a stream, lake, or groundwater.  

 

In the past, most water quality problems were traced to the most obvious cause ... point-source pollution.

 

This means the problem can be traced to a specific location such as a pipe or disposal site.Technical and regulatory methods have been used to detect and control theseproblems. Much progress has been made in preventing further water quality problems from point sources. However, water quality problems from nonpoint-source pollution are more difficult to isolate and control. These sources are often hard to identify and difficult to measure. This type of pollution results from a wide variety of activities over a wide area. Nonpoint-source pollutants are in the water that runs off crop or forest land.

Others include failing septic systems, parking lots, construction sites, irrigation systems and drainage systems. It can even result from automobile exhaust getting in the atmosphere and falling back to earth in the rain.

A partnership among all people who live, work or play in the watershed can help identify concerns, educate those involved and encourage them to take action. Watershed management plans focus on prevention of pollution. This is easier and cheaper than trying to cleanup a watershed after the fact.

Understanding Your Watershed

Understanding your watershed is the first step in protecting the water and other natural resources.

The Suncook River Watershed is a dynamic and unique place. It is a complex web of natural resources - soil, water, air, plants and animals. Yet, everyday activities can impact these resources, ultimately impacting our well-being and economic livelihood.

Features

Your watershed has many features that make it unique. Features in our watershed include the Suncook River and its tributaries, the many dams, lakes and ponds, places like Cogswell Mountain in Gilmanton and Catamount Mountain in Pittsfield, large open hay fields like those found along Rt. 28 in Chichester and areas of protected forests, to name a few. The principal rivers in the Suncook River Watershed are Berry Pond Brook, Little Suncook River and the Suncook River.

Size
One important feature is the size of the watershed. Some (like the Mississippi River basin) are very large and include many smaller river basins or watersheds. These smaller watersheds can be subdivided into even smaller areas. The Suncook River Watershed encompasses a 255.8 square mile drainage area.

 

Boundary
Another important feature is the geographic boundary of the watershed. The boundary is formed by a ridge or high area from which water drains either toward or away from your watershed.

Terrain
The topography (terrain) is another important feature. How flat or steep the land is impacts how fast water drains. The faster the drainage, the more potential for flooding and increased soil erosion.

Soil type

Text Box:
Soil type is also important. For example, sandy soils allow the ground to soak up water faster. This reduces surface runoff, but can affect ground water. Clay soils, on the other hand, are tighter and do not allow as much water infiltration.

This can lead to more runoff and soil erosion. Generally, there is not a lot of clay in the soils in New Hampshire. Our soils are characterized as sandy, silty, gravelly, and rocky.

Other features
Whether your watershed drains into a stream or lake, the area nearest the water greatly affects water quality. This is why filter/buffer strips, wildlife habitat, wetlands and riparian areas are important aspects of your watershed.

Both filter/buffer strips and wetlands utilize nutrients and tie up sediment to help improve water quality. Wetlands also act as natural sponges to absorb peak flows of water and reduce flooding. Many fish and wildlife species rely on wetlands for rearing their young, and for food and shelter.