A watershed is an area of the earth's surface that drains, or sheds, water over the surface and subsurface into a stream. A watershed is sometimes called a drainage basin . That shaded area is called a partial second-order watershed .
Size tends to range from a few acres to a few hundred acres for a first-order watershed.
Understanding the workings of small watersheds is important not only for the health of their streams, but also for the larger streams that they feed. Created in late 1998, the Small Watershed Studies Workgroup represents a wide cross section of individuals and groups involved in small-watershed research, protection, management, regulation, and restoration. The workgroup recognizes that more needs to be learned about the interactions of processes and conditions in the watershed, because the entire watershed affects the physical, chemical, and biological processes and conditions in the stream channel that drains the watershed. The Small Watershed Studies Workgroup will serve as a facilitator of statewide communications and information exchange for the small-watershed community. Goals of the SWSW To provide a forum for effective and mutually helpful communication, cooperation, and collaboration among individuals and organizations involved in all facets of small-watershed studies.