Characteristics include, but are not limited to, the total area of the watershed, its shape, the arrangement of slopes and the overall relief or elevation change. Structural features such as faults and fractures can also influence the drainage pattern.Įach watershed is unique. There is a close relationship between drainage patterns in a watershed and the underlying sediment or bedrock. For example, a third-order stream joined by a first-order or second-order stream remains a third-order stream. A stream joined by a lower-order stream remains the same order. And when two second-order streams join they form a third-order stream. When two first-order streams join they become a second-order stream. For example, headwater streams, which are at the highest elevation in the watershed, are first-order streams. The streams that form watersheds can be classified by an ordering framework. Watersheds are nested systems, with smaller ones nesting into larger ones. Drainage divides are said to delineate the watershed. ![]() Watersheds may also drain into river basins, which can encompass larger areas.Įstablished watersheds are separated from one another by the height of the land, also known as drainage divides. Smaller drainage areas that feed into sub-watersheds, may be referred to as drainage basins or catchments. Groundwater discharge is included in the watershed, although boundaries may not coincide exactly with surface water. A watershed is the area of land that drains into rivers and lakes, which, in turn, flow to a common outlet.
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