WATERSHEDS

Have you ever seen a river, creek or stream flow in a park, alongside a street, under a bridge, behind a building, or in your backyard? Chances are, you have. Each river, creek or stream you see is part of a huge national network of approximately three million that ultimately sends water from inland areas to the ocean. Each lake, lagoon, wetland, river, creek or stream is part of what is called a watershed. Everyone lives in a watershed, because watersheds are everywhere.

Watersheds are drainage areas for water to flow to the nearest lake or ocean. Typically, watersheds are surrounded by areas of higher elevation that drain rainwater to areas of lower elevation. When water draining from higher elevations flow downhill, it cuts into the earth creating a river, creek, or stream (depending on the amount of water). These rivers, creeks and streams connect together to form a network that channels water into a lake or ocean.

Watersheds do not follow political boundaries; therefore, many cities or other jurisdictions are part of multiple watersheds. The City of Vista has four watersheds in our City limits: the San Luis Rey Watershed, Loma Alta Watershed, Buena Vista Watershed and Agua Hedionda Watershed.

Because watersheds are all around us, many of the activities we do at home and work can affect the water quality of our watersheds. For instance, washing your car in the street allows soaps, grit, grime, metals, and bacteria to enter a storm drain and eventually flow into a river, creek, or stream untreated. Additionally, commercial businesses that store oil-leaking equipment outside can pollute our waterbodies when rain washes that oil into the nearest waterbody. Everyone can help or hurt the quality of our watersheds by our chosen activities. It is up to all of us to help protect the water quality of Vista’s watersheds for our families and our community. Everyone impacts a watershed, because watersheds are everywhere.

The City of Vista, along with other North San Diego County Cities, has produced a poster describing our local watersheds. This poster, entitled "We All Live in a Watershed" is actually 36in x 24in, but has been reduced to 11in x 17 in for the purpose of faster downloading. If you would like an original copy of this poster, please contact the Water Quality Protection Program at 760-726-1340 x1375.