What's a Watershed and Why Should I Care?

A watershed is an area of land where water travels from a high point (like a mountain) to a low point (like a river or stream). The water moves through the stormdrain system both underground and on the surface. These pathways flow into streams and rivers, which become larger as the water moves downstream, eventually reaching a creek, lake, ocean or in Sacramento, directly to the river.

Sacramento’s Watershed includes every drop of water or precipitation from the tops of our mountains to the river, including rainfall that hits our roofs or a running hose that runs down our driveway—all eventually ending up in the river… untreated… and then out to the ocean. We live, work and play in one big watershed.

It’s our job to take care of it.