Our Bay: DNR Rail

ASK AN EXPERT

What is a watershed? How big is the Chesapeake Bay's watershed?

A watershed is an area of land that drains into a common point, usually a creek, stream, river or lake.

Everyone lives in a watershed - some are large like the Chesapeake's, while others are small, like your local stream. They are sometimes called basins or drainage basins. Every small watershed drains into a larger watershed that eventually drains into the ocean.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans more than 64,000 square miles touching parts of six states - Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West...