Table of Contents
Before you can monitor a watershed or plan a restoration project, you need to understand what a watershed is and how it functions. This subcategory covers the fundamentals — useful for new volunteers, community members, and anyone who needs to explain watershed concepts to others.
Recommended Reading Order #
| Article | What you’ll learn |
| What is a Watershed? | Definition, boundaries, and why the watershed is the right unit for managing water quality |
| Mapping Your Watershed | How to find and use watershed maps, delineation tools, and geographic data sources |
| Riparian Buffers — What Are They? | What riparian buffers are, why they matter for stream health, and how they relate to AMD |
| Water Cycle | How water moves through a watershed — precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and groundwater recharge |
| Drinking Water | Connection between watershed health, mine drainage, and drinking water quality |
| Ground Water | Groundwater basics, mine pool connections, and AMD contributions to groundwater quality |
Questions? Ask in the Forums #
Post questions about watershed basics in the General Discussion or Monitoring and Methods forum.
| Source: AML-Connect / EPCAMR | Last Reviewed: March 2026 | Forum: /community/forums/monitoring-and-methods/ |
