protec ting and restoring watersheds 161
Protecting and Restoring Watersheds
The land in a watershed is usually owned by many different people. It can be
difficult to get everyone’s cooperation to restore and improve a watershed. But
because the watershed includes everyone, it is important for as many people as
possible to support and participate in efforts to protect the watershed.
Sustainable development protects watersheds
Some changes to watersheds, such as building roads, damming a river to provide
irrigation or electricity, or draining wetlands to reduce breeding grounds for
insects, are made in the hope of improving people’s lives. But if these changes
are made without considering how water naturally moves through the
watershed, they may cause more harm than good.
Houses and
businesses are
built away from
the river’s edge
Forests slow
water runoff and
spread it across
floodplains.
Wetlands filter
contamination and
absorb floodwaters.
The natural
curves of the
river reduce
flooding.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012