Watersheds of Georgia
A River System is a network of connecting channels. Water from rain, snow, groundwater and other sources collects into the channels and flows to the ocean. A river system has three parts: a collecting system, a transporting system and a dispersing system. Tributary Network. One of the most surprising characteristics of a river system is the intricate tributary network that makes up the collecting system. The detail above does not show the entire network, only a tiny portion of it. Even the smallest tributary has its own system of smaller and smaller collection channels until the total number becomes astronomical. Most of the earth’s surface is some type of drainage system. The Watershed. A ridge of high ground borders every river system. This ridge encloses what is called a watershed. Beyond the ridge, all water flows into another river system. Just as water in a bowl flows downward to a common destination, all rivers, creeks, streams, ponds, lakes, wetlands and other types of water bodies in a watershed drain into the river system. A watershed creates a natural community where every living thing has something in common – the source and final disposition of their water.
Georgia’s 14 Major Watersheds. Georgia has 14 major watersheds: Altamaha, Chattahoochee, Coosa, Flint, Ochlockonee, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ogeechee, Saint Marys, Satilla, Savannah, Suwannee, Tallapoosa and Tennessee.
Georgia’s 52 Watersheds. The state’s 14 major watersheds are divided into 52 smaller watersheds, shown here. Those 52 watersheds are further divided into 395 even smaller watersheds and those into 1,960 watersheds. Theoretically, you can continue dividing watersheds until each one is the size of the “Tributary Network” illustrated above.
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