Every body of water has a watershed- even a small stream, and every place on earth is part of a watershed. So, what is a watershed?

It is an area of land from which rain and melting snow drain into a river, stream, or other body of water. To better understand it, we need to break down the word into two parts - water and shed.

Water may also be written as H₂O. It is made up of 2 Hydrogen atoms and 1 Oxygen atom, and it is an important element for life. (To learn more about water, check out the Water Cycle: Water on the Move)

OK, so what happens when things shed? Dogs and Cats shed their fur, snakes shed their skin, and crayfish shed their shells (exoskeleton). When a baby cries, it sheds tears. In a watershed, the land sheds water.