Jun 09, 2008 A recent survey by Goshen College students asked a random sample of Elkhart County residents if they live in a watershed. The results were surprising...

Homeowners and Stormwater - Further Reading

Do You Live in a Watershed?

A recent survey by Goshen College students asked a random sample of Elkhart County residents this question. Only 20% of the people who responded said yes, they live in a watershed. This told us we need to educate the other 80%!

The correct answer is that everybody lives in a watershed. A watershed is an area of land that drains into a particular body of water — a stream, river, lake, or wetland. What happens on the land can have a big impact on the water body that land drains into! That's why everyone can play a part in improving water quality, even if you don't live close to a body of water.

Watersheds can be small or large, and just as creeks drain into rivers, watersheds are almost always part of a larger watershed. In Elkhart County, the Elkhart River watershed is part of the St. Joseph River watershed, because the Elkhart River flows into the St. Joseph. Most of the land in Elkhart County is in the St. Joseph River watershed, which is part of the Lake Michigan watershed.

St. Joseph River Watershed

A small part of the southwest corner of the county, near Nappanee, is in the Kankakee River watershed. When it rains, the water that falls on this area flows to the Mississippi River and on to the Gulf of Mexico.

Local organizations working to protect and improve watersheds include the Friends of the St. Joe River and the Elkhart River Alliance.

To learn more about what you can do to improve your watershed, play the watershed game! This is appropriate for elementary aged students to adults.

The US Geological Survey has developed a system of organizing watersheds using a Hydrologic Unit Code. The 8-digit watersheds are the largest ones — the St. Joseph River watershed is an example of this. The Rock Run Creek-Horn Ditch watershed is a 14-digit (smaller) watershed within the St. Joseph River watershed. The GIS Atlas for Indiana shows the Hydrologic Unit Codes for Indiana.

Here are some websites with good information about watersheds:

Know your Watershed: Basic information about watersheds and human impacts on them from the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC).

EPA Watershed site: Includes the chance to "Surf Your Watershed."

Center for Watershed Protection: A great deal of information from a respected national organization.

Science in your watershed: Published by the US Geological Survey, this site will help you find scientific information organized on a watershed basis.