A watershed consists of the entire area drained by a river and its tributaries. All water run-off in a watershed travels to the same outlet.  In the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, all water from streams, rivers and run-off eventually winds up in the Chesapeake Bay.

Every place in Virginia has a watershed.  Since a watershed includes run-off from the land, the quality of water in the streams and rivers is affected by land use.  As a result, residential, commercial and agricultural areas have a direct influence on Virginia watersheds.

Find your watershed by entering your zip code in the box to the right.  You will be directed to the Environmental Protection Agency site.  To return, close the EPA window on your browser.