Explore Your Watershed
What is a Watershed?
Geographically, a watershed is the area of land that drains rainwater into a common body of water such as a creek or bay. The Bay Area Watershed is made up of many small watersheds, each collecting rainfall and waste water and ultimately flowing to the Bay. All water used by humans in the Bay Area flows directly to the Bay or the Pacific Ocean.
Ecologically, a watershed is the interdependent web of living organisms that inhabit a geographic area and depend on it for clean soil, air, and water. Watersheds are the containers for our homes, schools, and places of work. Everything we do, from mountaintop to marsh, affects the health of local water, soil, air, wildlife, our families and communities.
Dare to test your watershed knowledge? Click here to take our watershed quiz
The Watershed Community
The watershed movement is growing fast. The first local creek and watershed groups started a decade ago, and today there are 50 active groups in the Bay Area. In communities everywhere, neighbors are coming together to understand, restore, and protect their local creeks, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries.
It is easy to get involved and join this movement. You can start by finding your local watershed using the Oakland Museum of California's San Francisco Bay Area Graphic Creek and Watershed Finder. Once you have determined your watershed, you can connect with local watershed and creek groups working in your area. if you would like assistance finding your watershed or learning about citizen-based groups in your area, feel free to email us at info@thewatershedproject.org or call 510.665.3430.
