"A watershed is all the land that drains to one body of water. When it rains, water flows downhill — into creeks, canals, ditches, and rivers — and eventually into the lagoon. Everything that happens on the land in the watershed ends up in the lagoon. That's why what we do on land matters."
What Is a Watershed?
A watershed is the area of land that drains to a single body of water. Every drop of rain that falls within a watershed flows downhill — through creeks, streams, rivers, canals, ditches, and storm drains — eventually reaching the same body of water. The Indian River Lagoon's watershed covers about 700 square miles in Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, and Volusia counties. Everything that happens on the land within this watershed affects the lagoon: fertilizer applied to lawns runs off into the lagoon; oil from roads washes into storm drains that empty into the lagoon; septic system effluent seeps into groundwater that reaches the lagoon; construction sediment washes into canals that flow to the lagoon. Understanding the watershed concept is essential: you cannot protect the lagoon without protecting the land that drains to it. The lagoon's water quality is a direct reflection of how the watershed is managed.
