What is a Watershed?

A watershed is the total area of land draining to a particular water body. Watersheds are delineated utilizing topography, which indicates areas of elevation and natural divides. Drainage areas typically coincide with stream size. The 188,000 acres of land, which eventually drains to Clinton Lake, is lined with small streams that carry the water to the basin (figure 4). Approximately 398 miles of streams drain to Clinton Lake. Two main streams supply Clinton Lake: Salt Creek and North Fork Creek. Each creek has multiple smaller forks that drain to the main branches.