A watershed is a land area from which water drains into a major body of water such as a stream, lake, wetland, bay or estuary, or percolates into groundwater. Watersheds come in different shapes and sizes. Local watersheds are parts of larger, regional basins. Our Santa Clara basin, for example, is a sub-basin of the larger San Francisco Bay Basin.
A watershed begins at the top of a hill or mountain ridge and is ultimately defined by gravity. The Santa Clara Basin is bounded by the Diablo Mountains to the east and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the south and west. Raindrops falling east of the Santa Cruz Mountains ridgeline or west of the Diablo Range hills flow into our watershed. South San Francisco Bay receives the runoff water of our watersheds.
The following six major watersheds are located in the City of San José:
* Coyote
* Coyote
* Guadalupe
* Lower Penintenica
* San Tomas
* Calabazas
* Baylands
A watershed is more than just a drainage area. It’s the place where we live, work, play and find inspiration for our daily lives. Watersheds also provide critical habitats for the native wildlife and plants in our environment. It’s important for us to understand how our everyday activities impact our watershed so that we can protect our Santa Clara Basin.
A watershed is more than just a drainage area. It’s the place where we live, work, play and find inspiration for our daily lives. Watersheds also provide critical habitats for the native wildlife and plants in our environment. It’s important for us to understand how our everyday activities impact our watershed so that we can protect our Santa Clara Basin.
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