Trinity River

The Trinity River Watershed

The Trinity River in Texas and it's associated watershed is located in one of the most rapidly urbanizing areas in the nation - the Dallas/Ft.Worth metroplex. The Trinity River Basin is home to a watershed that covers 18,000 square miles and provides water and water related services to approximately 40% of the states' 25 million residents. It is expected that the human population in this area will double over the next 20 years and many locations will see demand overwhelm supply.

                         What is a Watershed?

A watershed, or catchment, is the land area that drains into a common water body (e.g. stream, lake, ocean, etc.); the watershed for a major river can encompass smaller watersheds that ultimately combine at a common point. A watershed includes all surface water, groundwater, soils, vegetation, animals, and human activities contained within its area. For a more detailed look at the Trinity River Watershed in Google Earth, go to USGS Explore your watershed. 

Image courtesy of Pollution Probe: Source Water Protection Primer <http://www.pollutionprobe.org/publications/primers.html>