A watershed is defined as "an area or ridge of land that separates waters flowing to different rivers, basins, or seas." On the map below each color represents a watershed. A good way to imagine a watershed is to think about a single drop of falling rain. If the drop of water falls anywhere in the bright green area of the map, it will eventually run down into the Indian Run section of the Scioto River. Watersheds are useful because they allow us to figure out how streams and rivers are affected by the areas around them.
Our watershed coordinators work to with groups in specific watersheds to manage available resources, promote reasonable land use decisions, coordinate watershed stakeholders to support, secure funding, and implement conservation and restoration driven projects for each watersheds. Leadership, technical tools and skills and grant assistance are just some of the resources we provide to groups seeking to improve the quality of their local watersheds.
If you're an individual who would like to be more involved with water quality in your community consider contacting your local watershed group. These groups work to address problems in the watershed and often have workshops and volunteer opportunities that can help you get involved in local conservation. Below is a list of active groups for each watershed.
Friends of Alum Creek and Tributaries (FACT) Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW)