Orange County Watersheds
Welcome to the website of the OC Watersheds Program!
Water pollution prevention is important to Orange County’s quality of life, its
businesses and tourism industry as well as to its environmental and ecological sustainability.
The OC Watersheds program is dedicated to protecting Orange County’s waterways and
educating the community in ways to prevent water pollution.
This website has technical information about water quality regulations,
research, best management practices
for residents,
businesses and schools as well
as games and
videos in a separate website dedicated to general public education
and outreach.
Mission Statement:
To develop regional management strategies to preserve, protect, and enhance coastal
resources and surface waters throughout Orange County. A watershed approach considers
the entire geographic area that a watercourse drains to address a broad range of
issues.
Program History:
The integrated OC Watersheds Program at the County of Orange was created in the
spring of 2000 to provide a more cohesive focus on protecting and improving water
resources throughout Orange County. Stemming from requirements of the federal Clean
Water Act, the County monitors the physical, chemical and biological condition of
Orange County’s waterways.
What is a watershed?
A watershed is the geographic area draining into a
river system, ocean or other body of water through a single outlet and includes
the receiving waters. Watersheds are usually bordered and/or separated from other
watersheds by mountain ridges or other naturally elevated areas.
In other words, all of the land in Orange County drains to a body of water that
ultimately leads to the Pacific Ocean by traveling through the watershed.
To simplify the concept of a watershed, if you were to cup your hands and
someone poured water on your palms, the water would all run to the point where your
hands meet – this point simulates a river or creek and your palms simulate the land
of a watershed. Orange County has 11 unique watersheds – click
here to learn more about the watershed where you live.
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