A watershed is the area of land that drains to a common lake, wetland, stream or river. Watersheds come in different sizes and scales.

For example, someone who lives on Lake Minnetonka is part of the Lake Minnetonka watershed. Because Lake Minnetonka connects to the Minnehaha Creek, that property is also part of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed, which flows into the Mississippi River Watershed. As such, the property is also in the Gulf of Mexico Watershed. 

What's your Watershed Address?

A watershed district is a unit of government that is based on the natural boundary of a watershed. The Minnesota Watershed District Act was implemented in 1955. It allowed for the establishment of local units of government, such as watershed districts or water management organizations, to protect and manage water resources based on hydrologic (as opposed to political) boundaries. Watershed districts can include part or all of a number of cities, townships and counties.