What watershed are you in? Find out using our interactive Explore Your Watershed map.
A watershed is an area of land where all water flows to the same place. Watersheds help us understand how water travels from higher elevation areas (like the mountains) to lower elevation areas (like the ocean) in our environment.
Everyone lives in a watershed, and it’s essential to know which one you live in. Knowing your watershed can tell you more about where your water comes from and where it flows to. In turn, this helps us figure out how and where polluted urban runoff and marine debris impacts our watersheds the most.
Understanding the concept of a watershed is key to understanding how the health (or water quality) of a given water body is intimately tied to the land surrounding it. You may live in one watershed and work or play in a different one. The human activities, development, and terrain conditions within any given watershed directly impact the water quality of the rivers, streams, lakes, and bays within – and at the end of – that watershed. As our ecological neighborhoods, watersheds are at the heart of all we do. After all, if you’re not in the water, you’re in a watershed.
We developed an interactive watershed map in partnership with Think Blue San Diego. The map also features points of interest including recreational areas, protected water bodies, schools, and community gardens. Through this visualization, we can see how we are all connected, both ecologically and socially, and even the ways we are different – in the case of resource availability and access to points of interest.
San Diego Protected Water Bodies
San Diego Community Gardens
Tip: Curious about watershed solutions? The map also features green infrastructure projects within the City of San Diego. Select the ‘Point of Interest’ tab to learn more.
Explore Your Watershed Map Activity
Follow these steps to explore your watershed.
- Navigate to the Explore Your Watershed map.
- Type in the address of your home, school, or place of work.
- What watershed are these areas located in?
- Is your school or place of work in the same watershed as your home?
- Where does your watershed drain into?
This map was made possible with support from Think Blue San Diego.
