A watershed, or drainage basin, is
the land area which contributes water to a
stream, lake, river, wetland, or groundwater.
Managing water resources on a watershed basis makes good sense -
environmentally, financially, and socially. Watershed are
defined by natural hydrology, not political boundaries, and
represents the most logical basis for managing water resources.
The Tunkhannock Creek Watershed encompasses 413 square miles of
Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is part of the Upper
Susquehanna River Basin, which eventually drains into the
ecologically stressed Chesapeake Bay. The area includes 32
municipalities in Susquehanna, Lackawanna, and Wyoming Counties.
This watershed contains various land uses representing the
following square mile areas: 235 of forest; 127 of agricultural
lands; 20 o flakes, ponds, and streams; 15 of various types of
wetlands; and 16 of urban areas.
Let's trace the path of a drop
of rainwater falling in the upper part of the watershed. After
hitting the ground, it might runoff into a rill, feeding into
ever larger channels. Or, it may percolate through the soil
until it reaches the water table and becomes part of the
groundwater. It
Elevation depiction of the watershed
would enter the lake at Lackawanna
State Park where it might stay for a while. The average
residence time of a molecule of water in a lake is about seven
years!
One day it would pass
over the spillway and continue the journey downstream in Tunkhannock
Creek. It would then take less than a day to flow past Keystone
College. A few miles more and it would join waters from the East Branch
of Tunkhannock Creek, together flowing into the Susquehanna River at
Tunkhannock.
Now a part of the
largest river in Pennsylvania (and the 16th largest in the US), the drop
will flow through Wilkes-Barre, Sunbury, and Harrisburg crossing the
Mason-Dixon line into Maryland. The Susquehanna ends at Havre de Grace,
MD where it enters the Chesapeake Bay, delivering 90% of the freshwater
flowing into the upper bay at a normal rate of 18 million gallons per
minute!
It’s easy to see why programs to clean up the Bay look upstream
for solutions. Pennsylvania and New York State contribute
significantly to the quality of the water flowing to the Bay.
Homeowners fertilizing lawns, dairy farmers spreading manure on
fields, and backyard mechanics draining oil from cars onto the
ground all impact the quality of groundwater, drinking water, and
the health of the Chesapeake Bay.
It really makes you hope that your upstream neighbors are being
as careful and considerate as you!
