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February |
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Quick Watershed Facts What is a watershed? A watershed is
an area of land which drains into a particular water body. It includes a river,
its tributaries, lakes, ponds, surface and ground water, as well as all of the
land within the region. In a watershed, land and water come together in a single
ecological system providing usable resources and services to those who live and
work within its boundaries. What is Watershed Management?
Watershed management is cooperative, multi community planning and problem
solving that aims to improve the quality and use of interconnected water and
land in a watershed. Aquatic life, public health, and the economic vitality of
the watershed, are impacted by the way resources are used. A large part of
watershed management is educating citizens on the causes and sources of
pollution and the best methods to improve water quality. Citizens are provided
with the opportunity to participate and to contribute to water quality
improvements. The Challenge of Nonpoint Source
Pollution. Nonpoint source pollution ~PS) is the main source of water quality
and resource problems in Massachusetts. Erosion, urban runoff (fertilizers and
insecticides are examples of NPS. These pollutants do not flow from a pipe that
can be monitored. Easily identifiable point sources are no longer the prima~
culprit for degrading river water quality. NPS accumulates from many sources and
human practices. The challenge of attacking the
cumulative effect of NPS is best met at the subwatershed level through
collaboration among citizens, businesses. civic and environmental organizations,
technical experts in the field and representatives from local and state
governments. Citizens identify their concerns and work with technical experts to
design and implement strategies that remedy the problems.
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Taunton River Watershed Alliance, Inc.P.O. Box 146 Bridgewater, MA 02324 |
