What Is A Watershed?

A watershed is the land area that channels rainfall to creeks, streams, rivers, and eventually to reservoirs, bays, and the ocean. In other words, all of the land in Orange County drains to at least one body of water; so no matter where you stand, you are in a watershed! All drainage ultimately leads to the Pacific Ocean by traveling through the watershed.

Imagine a bathtub. No matter where water falls in the bathtub, it all goes down the drain. A watershed is similar – it collects everything that falls into it and drains it into a creek, stream, river, or ocean.

The water that drains within the watersheds of Orange County also carries pollutants like litter, cigarette butts, fertilizer, pesticides, pet waste, motor oil, and lawn clippings, which are transported to our streams, rivers, or channels and swept out to the Pacific Ocean.

In Orange County, there are 11 watersheds. The County is divided into three Watershed Management Areas that help focus water quality and restoration efforts on the watershed scale.

Parts of a Watershed

Rollover each part of the watershed below to learn more.

Why do Watersheds Matter?

Watersheds affect water quality for drinking and recreational use, so keeping watersheds healthy becomes increasingly vital to keeping our waterways healthy. As the cycle of life shows, unhealthy watersheds negatively affect wildlife. Aquatic life quickly suffers the effects of watershed pollution, which may alter habitats. That, in turn, can affect the food chain, from organisms that feed birds and animals, to fish that feed humans. Ultimately the polluted water becomes both directly and indirectly harmful to humans.

As Orange County residents, it’s our job to work to keep pollutants out of our waterways. No matter where you live in Orange County, you live in a watershed.

To see what watershed you live in, check out the Show My Watershed interactive map.