Introduction
Watershed management deals with creating and implementing plans, programs and projects that restore, sustain, or enhance ecosystem services provided by a watershed. Sound watershed management is reliant on watershed science, which studies the natural attributes of a watershed, and human activities within the watershed, to determine and assess effects on watershed processes.
A watershed is an area of land that drains precipitation to an outlet, such as a stream or lake. The roof on your house, condo, or apartment is basically a watershed because it drains rain that falls on the roof (area of land) into a gutter and downspout (stream).
The size of a watershed can vary from very small to very large. The Mississippi River watershed is a very large land area that drains much of the United States, including much of Wyoming. Smaller watersheds within a large watershed are called tributary or sub-watersheds. The Missouri River watershed is a tributary to the Mississippi and is the sub-watershed that drains much of Wyoming.
Watershed Management Principles
There are four core principles of watershed management.
- Watersheds are natural systems that we can work with.
- Watershed management is continuous and needs a multi-disciplinary approach.
- A watershed management framework supports partnering, using sound science, taking well-planned actions and achieving results.
- A flexible approach is always needed.