WatershedsWatersheds

Watershed - An area of land that is drained by a river or other body of water.

6 states make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New York, & Pennsylvania.

Chesapeake Bay

1. Drowned River Valley which is the largest estuary in N. America.

200 mi. long x 30 mi. wide.

2. Average depth is 20 feet deep. Deepest spot is near Annapolis, MD = 180 feet.

3. John Smith explored & wrote a lot about the Bay. He recorded that the average size of oysters here were the size of a man’s boot!

“Chesapeake Bay” means “Great Shellfish Bay.”

(Drainage Basin at a Local Level)

Chesapeake Chesapeake WatershedWatershed

• A divide is a high land area that separates one watershed from another.

1. Label States

VA

TX

FL

2. Label Rivers

Mis

siss

ippi

Riv

er

3. Draw Drainage Basins

* There will be 5. Use a different color for each basin!

3. Draw Drainage Basins

3. Draw Drainage Basins

3. Draw Drainage Basins

3. Draw Drainage Basins

3. Draw Drainage Basins

4. Shade Drainage Basins