vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(4504F)
EPA 842-F-98-006
April 1998
Your Coastal Watershed
hat Is a Watershed?
7\ watershed is an area
in which water, sedi-
ments, and dissolved
tjmaterial drain to a
common outlet, such
las a river, lake, bay or
yean.
A watershed is a geographic
area in which all sources of water, including
lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands, and
streams, as well as ground water, drain to a
common surface water body. Because all
watersheds are defined by natural hydrol-
ogy and ultimately drain to coastal waters,
they are good focal points for managing
coastal resources.
Parts of the Coastal Watershed
The coastal watershed has several parts. It starts up at the beginning headwaters of
the streams and rivers that ultimately drain down to the coastal areas. Headwaters
often include wetlands, and wetlands often are adjacent to the flowing waters of rivers
or streams. As the streams and rivers flow to coastal waters, they are influenced by
many land and water uses. They pass through upland areas used for a variety of
purposes such as farming, housing, businesses, recreation, and conservation. Upon
reaching the coastal areas, the rivers empty into estuaries, which provide a unique
habitat for a diverse group of organisms. Among other habitat functions, rivers and
estuaries provide breeding and feeding grounds for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial
animals. Nearshore waters, the areas directly offshore from the beach, are part of the
coastal watershed because they are influenced by the activities going on along the
shoreline and by pollutants coming from the land. Farthe'r offshore are coral reefs (in
tropical areas) and other offshore habitats that'are part of the coastal watershed as well.
Coastal watersheds
begin -with the streams and
rivers that ultimately flow to the
coastal areas. Coastal •watersheds include
upstream areas, estuaries, beaches, nearshore
•waters, and offshore habitat such as coral reefs.
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How Does the Watershed Influence Marine Resources?
Since a watershed is made up of several components that are all part
of the "big watershed picture," it is important to remember
that what happens on the land can affect the water. For
example, if a river or stream flows through an agricultural
area, it can pick up fertilizer, manure, and pesticides from
farming operations that run off the land after a rainstorm.
As it passes urbanized and suburbanized areas, it might
gather fertilizers that wash off lawns, untreated sewage
from failing septic tanks, wastewater discharges from
industrial facilities, sediment from construction sites, and
runoff from impervious surfaces like parking lots. Upon
reaching the coast, the stream or river can be affected by
commercial and recreational boating, discharges from
industrial and municipal facilities, and recreational
activities on beaches. All of these areas—agricultural,
suburban, urban, and coastal—can have an impact on
marine resources.
Some Pollution Impacts on the Coastal
Watershed
Soil (loose dirt) from construction sites, farms,
and areas where dirt is exposed can wash off into
streams and rivers when it rains and flow to
lakes, estuaries, and oceans. The result can be
muddy waters that smother organisms living on
the bottom, decrease the amount of light
reaching the sea grass beds, and clog fish gills.
Some kinds of pollutants can bind to sediment
and flow with it to coastal waters.
Excess nutrients can also wash off the land
when it rains and end up in coastal waters.
Sources of excess nutrients include lawn fertiliz-
ers, pet and farm animal waste, decaying plant
material, failing septic tanks, atmospheric
deposition, and inefficient sewage treatment
plants. The loss of wetlands in many watersheds has reduced the ability of nature to
process these nutrients before they enter rivers, streams, and ultimately estuaries.
These nutrients can cause an excessive amount of algae (microscopic plants) to grow in
the water, blocking the light reaching sea grass. When the algae die off, the decaying
process uses up the oxygen in the water, leaving little, if any,
for fish and other aquatic organisms. In addition, some of these
algae and related organisms (including Pfiesteria pisdcidd)
release toxins that can kill fish or shellfish, and can be harmful,
or even fatal, to humans.
Toxic substances, such as pesticides from lawns, gardens, and
farms, and lead, oils, and greases deposited on roads from cars and
trucks, can all run off the land with rainfall and snowmelt. Indus-
trial plants and municipal wastewater treatment plants can also
contribute to the amount of toxic substances entering streams and
rivers and ultimately lakes, estuaries, and coastal waters. Fish kills
and loss of the recreational uses of an area can occur.
Pathogens are. microscopic organisms like bacteria and viruses.
They come from untreated or poorly treated sewage, pet and farm
animal waste, and improperly handled medical waste. Pathogens in
the water in unsafe amounts result in beach closures, shellfish bed closures, fish kills, and
human health problems.
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Resource Impacts
Activities in the watershed can adversely affect a
variety of resources. (Specific impacts on each of these
resources are discussed in the referenced factsheets.)
Beaches—Overloading of pollutants such as sewage
and debris can result in beach closings. (EPA 842-F-98-
010)
Bays and estuaries —Pollutants in and structural
alterations to bays and estuaries can lead to loss of
breeding and feeding grounds of fish, other- aquatic
animals, and birds, as well as loss of recreational
areas. (EPA 842-F-98-009)
Nearshore waters—Along with bays and
estuaries, nearshore waters are collection places
for pollutants that flow from the watershed, (EPA
842:F-98-007)
Coral reefs and other offshore areas—Marine
debris and pollutants such as nutrients and
pesticides can flow offshore and affect coral reefs
and other offshore habitats. (EPA 842-F-98-008)
It is important to think of the watershed as a whole system that is
tied together. What happens in one part of the watershed can affect another part,
sometimes hundreds of miles away.
EP7\ has invested considerable effort in
streamlining program requirements
that hinder watershed approaches and
in developing useful watershed tools
feand services.
What Is EPA Doing to Protect Coastal Watersheds?
As one of the primary federal agencies with responsibility for protecting and restoring the
nation's waters, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has the opportunity to
advance watershed protection. In recent years, EPA has invested considerable effort in
streamlining program requirements that hinder watershed approaches
®jmm-**aaa>^^ and in developing useful watershed tools and services. For example, EPA
has:
• Increased efforts to assist states in assessing the quality of their
watersheds through a variety of programs.
• Applied watershed planning tools to the wetland permitting process
to identify areas that are suitable or unsuitable for development.
• Provided financial assistance to states, territories, and tribes to
s promote watershed planning and management.
1" Developed the "Surf Your Watershed" web site, which provides
watershed-specific information to the public through the Internet and
has increased public awareness of watersheds.
Implemented the National Estuary Program to protect
specific coastal watersheds and foster citizen and
local government involvement in coastal watershed
protection.
EPA also works with state, local, and community
organizations to help them initiate grassroots efforts for
protecting watersheds. The Getting in Step—A Pathway to
Effective Outreach in Your Watershed program provides
training to community organizations interested in learning
how to communicate the watershed protection message.
EPA recognizes that even though federal and state
agencies can provide guidance and assistance, watershed
protection must be implemented at the local and water-
shed levels.
SURE YOUR WATERSHED
i&At
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You can do several things to help protect your watershed and coastal waters.
• Take responsibility for your
own backyard through sensible
lawn care, waste disposal, and
resource conservation. Use
pesticides and fertilizers
sparingly and correctly.
Compost organic waste.
• Practice good housekeeping by
properly disposing of toxic
substances like paint and paint
thinners, automotive fluids,
and cleaning products.
Participate in "amnesty days"
or take toxic wastes to
appropriate collection sites.
• Curb your dog and properly
dispose of pet waste. Do not
leave it on the ground or throw it down a storm drain, (/our
neighbors will appreciate this, too!)
• Maintain your septic tank if you have one. Frequent pumping,
proper drain field maintenance, and careful waste disposal will
prolong the life of your system and prevent discharge of
untreated sewage to ground and surface waters.
• Pick up Utter when you see it and properly dispose of your
own trash.
• Properly maintain your boat, use pumpout facilities, and
operate your boat in a responsible manner to avoid shoreline erosion.
Follow all signage to avoid harming sensitive aquatic environments.
• Qef involved in volunteer clean-up, monitoring, and environmental protection efforts.
Possibilities range from helping with mailings and phone campaigns to stenciling
storm drains and participating in beach and stream cleanups.
For additional information...
Ptee call fP/l's Oceans and Coastal Protection Division at (202)
260-1952. Visit EPft's watershed and coastal web sites at
httptf/www.epa.gov/OWOW
or the National Estuary Program web site at
•^ PRCfl^
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