Watersheds

A watershed is an area of land in which all water sources flow into a common body of water. Chester County’s water sources flow into either the Delaware Bay or the Chesapeake Bay, but Chester County has a lot of headwater streams, which are the uppermost sources of streams.

what is a watershed photo


Headwaters flow into larger streams which flow into even larger streams. This continues as the stream grows in size. Eventually these tributaries flow into a river or directly into a bay. The rivers which Chester County’s waters flow into are the Delaware River, the Christina River, the Schuylkill River, and the Susquehanna River.

What watershed do you live in? Check out the below map!

Watershed Map

Watersheds are important because the water quality of a waterbody are affected by things happening in the land area above the river-outflow point. If something spills on the ground, if nothing intercepts it, it will likely end up in the stream.

Watersheds are important because the water quality of a waterbody are affected by things happening in the land area above the river-outflow point. If something spills on the ground, if nothing intercepts it, it will likely end up in the stream.

watersheds of chesco