Watershed Facts

What is a Watershed? A watershed is an area of land that contains a common set of streams and rivers that all drain into a larger water body such as the Chehalis River or Grays Harbor.

Here are some facts about the Chehalis Watershed:

• The Chehalis River Basin is the largest watershed that originates entirely within the boundaries of Washington State
• Over 140,000 people call the Chehalis Basin home (as of 2000 Census). 220,000 are projected to live in the basin by 2025
• Water Source: There are no significant areas with snow pack high in our watershed. This means that streams are maintained by groundwater flows and rainfall only.
• Lakes: There are 180 lakes, ponds and reservoirs in the basin
• Streams: There are 3,350 miles of rivers and streams in this basin
• Forests: 87% of the land use in the basin is forestry
• Agriculture: 8% of the land in the basin is used for agriculture

Click here to download a document with these and more facts.