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The map below illustrates the six major watersheds found in Pennsylvania. A watershed is the drainage area of a particular body of water, in this case the Susquehanna River, Lake Erie, the Genesee River, the Ohio River, the Delaware River and the Potomac River. Within each of these major watersheds can be found smaller watersheds, the drainage areas of the creeks and streams that flow into a river or lake.

Like a street address, we all have a watershed address, our location within a watershed. Imagine that you are a drop of rain falling from the sky, landing in a backyard. Where do you flow from there? Do you follow the street to the storm water drain, flowing into a small creek? Does that small creek eventually connect to a stream? Does that stream flow into a small river? Does that small river flow into the Delaware or the Susquehanna rivers?

The actions that we take at our watershed address are directly connected to all of the watersheds through which water flows. If you follow the path of the raindrop, you might see that the fertilizers and chemicals we add to our landscape will eventually reach the river. When thinking of landscaping in your own yard, remember the path of the raindrop and that all water is connected.