A watershed is an area of land that is drained by a particular stream or river. A watershed may be as small as 1 mile squared or large as 10,000 miles squared. The area is determined by the waterbody of interest. For example, the Kirkwood Creek Watershed is much smaller than the American River Watershed. However, events in the Kirkwood Creek Watershed affect the greater American River Watershed because Kirkwood Creek is a tributary to the American River.
Alpine County encompasses the headwaters of five major watersheds. These watersheds are the Carson River Watershed, the American River Watershed, the Truckee River Watershed, the Mokelumne River Watershed, and the Stanislaus River Watershed.

Protecting Watersheds AND Protecting Rivers?
We love our rivers and streams. The protection of our rivers is vital for the health of our society and environment. However, we are challenging you to think of the bigger picture. Because water flows downhill and carries sediment, etc., the health of the land within our watersheds greatly impacts the health of our waters in the streams and rivers. Therefore, the Alpine Watershed Group focuses on issues regarding the health of our forests, the conditions of our roads, responsible recreation and development, etc. in addition to the health of our riparian areas and streams.

Why Watersheds?
Today, natural resource managers tend to think in terms of watersheds instead of political boundaries that were established by man. Water is a powerful force that greatly influences the geological and biological processes on the landscape. Naturally, water is subject to the laws of physics and flows in a predictable path down a watershed. Often it carries with it sediment, nutrients, seeds, and other debris. Therefore, what occurs in the upper areas of a watershed influences what occurs below. Natural processes are more likely to follow watershed boundaries than political boundaries- imaginary lines on the landscape.
Why Monitor the Health of our Rivers?
The Alpine Watershed Group spends approximately 225 hours a year monitoring the health of our rivers. The state of our rivers is influenced by events and processes that occur throughout the watershed. By monitoring the health of our rivers, we can determine if we are having a positive or negative impact on the health of our watershed. We can identify sources of pollution, erosion, and other negative impacts on our environment. Also, we can determine if our restoration practices are effective.