How to Identify Your Local Watershed in Pennsylvania

How To Identify Your Local Watershed in Pennsylvania

This guide will help you start on the right path to connecting with your local watershed.

Definitions

First, what is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land (including underground too) that drains to a specific body of water. You may also hear the word basin used to describe the same thing. Many people use the word basin when they describe large bodies of water, such as rivers and bays (for example, the Chesapeake Bay Basin, Ohio River Basin, Lake Erie Basin, etc.). The word watershed is often used when referring to smaller bodies of water (Spring Creek Watershed, Crystal Lake Watershed, etc.). Don't be surprised if you see the words used interchangeably, however.

Watersheds Come In Many Sizes

Watersheds or basins exist in many different scales or sizes. As you explore your watershed, you will find that you live in many different watersheds, and this can lead to confusion. Just as you can describe your current location as in your chair, in your living room, in your home, in your neighborhood, in your town, in your state, in your country, etc. you can also name your watershed very locally or on a broader scale. For example, you may live in the Conewago Creek Watershed. Still, you also live in the larger Susquehanna River Watershed and the much larger Chesapeake Bay Watershed, all at the same time.

It is valuable to know the watershed associated with the stream that water drains to from your home, school, or workplace. The watershed from your home will likely differ from the one at your school or work. Knowing these local watersheds will help you understand how your daily activities impact your local watershed.

A typical watershed is illustrated here.

So How Do You Identify Your Watershed

There are a few good starting points for identifying your watershed. First, take a look at the maps included in this article. You will find a map of Pennsylvania that indicates the six major river basins in PA and a map of smaller basins within the state of Pennsylvania used by federal agencies such as the EPA and USGS for planning purposes. These two maps will help you start to find your local watershed and help you see your local watershed fit into the bigger picture of your community. You can find out which of those slightly smaller basins you live in by visiting the EPA's How's My Waterway website and entering your street address. You can learn a lot of other information about your local watershed on this website while you are exploring.

Pennsylvania's watersheds identified by the EPA and USGS, including HUC numbers used for identification purposes. (image credit: US EPA)

You can also try to identify your stream-based watershed address by reaching out to local resources and organizations. Your county planning commission or your county conservation district will likely have a map of smaller stream-based watersheds available, and it may even be on their website. Try doing an internet search for "[Your County] Watershed Map" or "[Your County] Watersheds." Remember that your county's name may not be unique to Pennsylvania, so make sure that it is your county if you find a map. If you can't find the map online, call your county conservation district and ask if they have a map they can share with you.

When you do figure out the name of the stream-based watershed that you live in (or work/attend school in), you might even be able to find a map of just your watershed online. Go ahead and search for it. You may find that your local watershed has a group of concerned citizens working hard to protect it through a watershed association, or you may find links to news stories about your watershed. 

Create Your Own Watershed Map

You can also use online tools to create a map of your local watershed. The USGS has an interactive website known as StreamStats.

You can visit their "Interactive Map" and create your own local watershed map. Enter Pennsylvania in the Step 1 search box. Recenter and zoom in on your county and keep zooming in until you can identify your community. Keep moving the map around until you find where you live or work. Find the nearest stream to your location; if you are zoomed in enough, it will appear as a digital blue line. Click the delineate button on the left to turn on the delineation tool. Your cursor will turn into a crosshairs watershed delineation tool. Click on the stream near your home. After a few moments of thinking, the map will automatically generate a yellow watershed shape that you can explore and print for reference. Ensure that your home/school/etc. is inside that yellow area. If not, you picked a stream that may be close by but is not the one that water drains to from your home. Or you clicked on the blue line upstream from your house instead of downstream. You will have to go back and try again. Look closely at the map to be confident you picked the right stream or the right direction on the stream from your home.

You should be able to find a name for your stream, which is also your watershed's name. If it has no name, look to see the name of a more significant stream where your stream drains. Your stream would be called "unnamed tributary to xxx stream," where xxx is the name of that more significant stream (or river).

What To Do With Your Watershed Address

So now that you know your watershed name, you can start seeking information about it. Find out if your stream has a local watershed association. Search to see if your stream appears in the local newspapers. Look to see where the boundaries of your watershed are and who else is contributing to your local water quality. Congratulations, you have discovered your watershed address!