What's a Watershed?
Watershed: An area of land where all the water from rain or snow collects (into streams and rivers) and flows to a lake, ocean, or reservoir.
Lake Erie
In the River Raisin Watershed, water collects in the River Raisin and flows into Lake Erie.
Facts about the
River Raisin Watershed
- The entire watershed is about 1,072 square miles, roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island.
- The River Raisin is approximately 150 miles long.
- As of 2010, the watershed was home to 178,577 people.
- The watershed contains parts of five Michigan Counties: Lenawee, Monroe, Washtenaw, Jackson, Hillsdale, and a portion of Fulton County Ohio.
- The watershed contains around 429 lakes and ponds.
- The watershed contains 3,000 miles of man-made drainage systems.
- It contains 22 mainstream dams and 38 tributary dams.
- It is said to be the world's "crookedest river."
- River Raisin Watershed land uses in 2010:
Agriculture - 65%
Urbanized Areas - 11%
Wetlands - 8%
Forested - 7%
Grassland - 7%
