What is a Watershed?

A watershed is an area of land that catches precipitation and drains into a larger body of water such as a marsh, stream, river or lake. Watersheds can range in size from a few hectares to thousands of square kilometres. Within the complex living system of a watershed, everything is connected. Thinking of a watershed as a giant sponge helps explain the connections between all parts of the watershed. As precipitation falls, it is stored in the watershed’s land and water bodies and slowly released through shallow water discharge into the river.

Like all watersheds, the Red Deer River watershed is connected by three main components: wetlands, riparian buffers and uplands. Wetlands are areas of land (such as marshes, sloughs, muskegs, ponds and potholes) that are saturated with water for all or part of the year. Riparian buffers are the land areas along wetlands, lakes and streams that support plants and animals and protect aquatic ecosystems by filtering out sediments and nutrients. Uplands are all the other areas in the watershed that are not wetlands or riparian buffers. The soil cover (such as natives grasses and trees) in upland areas can help to protect the health of a watershed.

By carefully managing and protecting the Red Deer River watershed, we can all ensure that this important resource remains for future generations.