{"id":328372,"date":"2025-12-02T22:54:57","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T22:54:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/american-history\/knowing-the-basics-streamways-watersheds-and-water-management\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T22:54:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T22:54:57","slug":"knowing-the-basics-streamways-watersheds-and-water-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=328372","title":{"rendered":"Knowing the Basics \u2013 Streamways, Watersheds, and Water Management"},"content":{"rendered":"


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You\u2019ve probably heard terms like streamway<\/em>, watershed<\/em>, and floodplain<\/em> used in news articles and conversation before. But do you really know what they mean?<\/p>\n

Museum staff thought we did \u2013 until we started preparing for our special exhibit, \u201cRipples: Water, Community, and You.\u201d The more we read, the more maps we studied, the more we realized: we did not really know water.<\/p>\n

Understanding the water in our environment is essential. So we\u2019ve pulled together some key terms and concepts so you don\u2019t have to! Here\u2019s a crash course in the basics of streamways, watersheds, and water management.<\/p>\n

\"A
This small waterfall as seen from Coffee Creek Streamway Trail, a Johnson County Park and Recreation District (JCPRD) park that highlights the beauty of our streamways. Learn more about JCPRD streamway trails and parks here.<\/a> Courtesy JCPRD. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Streamways \u2013 Going with the Flow<\/strong><\/p>\n

Streamway<\/em><\/strong> is a catchall word for any watercourse that flows in a channel \u2013 like streams, creeks, and rivers. That trickle in your backyard? A named creek like Turkey Creek? A mighty river like the Kansas River? All streamways.<\/p>\n

Over time, streamways have served as sources of drinking water, transportation routes, recreation spots, and, at times, open sewers. But most importantly, they are rich natural environments, home to entire ecosystems<\/strong> of bugs, birds, plants, animals, and aquatic life. A stream running through your neighborhood may be supporting life in ways you\u2019ve never imagined.<\/p>\n

Floodplains \u2013 When Streamways Spill Over<\/strong><\/p>\n

A floodplain <\/em><\/strong>is the low-lying land that surrounds a streamway. When rainfall or snowmelt overwhelms the channel, the water spreads into this area.<\/p>\n

\"Satellite
This satellite image of the Kansas City area shows the confluence of the Kansas and Missouri rivers. The red lines are drawn along the natural cliffs and high ground along the rivers \u2013 the lands between the red lines are the rivers\u2019 natural floodplains. Some of the floodplains are developed, while other sections appear to be agricultural fields. Map courtesy Kansas Department of Agriculture \u2013 explore for yourself.<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Floodplains might look like prairies, a wetland, or wooded groves. Some \u2013 like those along the Kansas and Missouri Rivers \u2013 stretch for miles. Periodic flooding supports the plants and living organisms that live there and replenishes the soil, making floodplains ideal for farming. Nature built these areas to flood \u2013 and that flooding has benefits.<\/p>\n

Tributaries \u2013 A Connected System<\/strong><\/p>\n

No streamway stands alone. They are all part of a larger network, flowing into one another. A streamway that drains into a larger one is called a tributary<\/em><\/strong>. <\/p>\n

\"A
This map shows the Missouri River watershed, all of the smaller rivers and creeks that are tributaries of the Missouri River. Courtesy Wikimedia (Shannon1).<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, Indian Creek flows into the Blue River, which itself has many tributaries. The Blue is a tributary of the larger Missouri River, which in turn empties into the Mississippi River. That means the rainwater that runs off your driveway could travel hundreds of miles \u2013 ultimately reaching the Gulf of Mexico. Pretty amazing, right?<\/p>\n

Watersheds \u2013 Flowing Together<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of those interconnected streamways form a watershed <\/em><\/strong>\u2013 the land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt into a common outlet like a stream, creek, river, reservoir, or ocean.<\/p>\n

\"Map
This map shows the larger Mississippi River watershed, which includes the Missouri River and Kansas River watersheds. The Mississippi drains nearly 1\/3 of the continental United States, all reaching the river\u2019s mouth at the Gulf of Mexico. Courtesy Wikimedia (Shannon1). <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Each streamway has its own watershed. But just like tributaries, smaller watersheds are part of larger ones. Turkey Creek is part of the of the Kansas River watershed, which is part of the Missouri River watershed, which is part of the vast Mississippi River watershed \u2013 covering about a third of the entire United States.<\/p>\n

Watersheds don\u2019t follow city, county, or even state lines. Do you know which watershed you live in? Check out the map below to find out.<\/p>\n

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Watersheds do not adhere to political boundaries. In this map of Johnson County, creek watersheds are overlaid on a modern city and road map The background colors are cities, while the white background is unincorporated. To access as a zoomable PDF, visit this link. <\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Water Management \u2013 Controlling the Flow<\/strong><\/p>\n

All of the water concepts above are part of nature\u2019s design. Water flows downhill. Simple, right? \u00a0<\/p>\n

But human society depends on water for survival, agriculture, industry, energy, and recreation. That\u2019s why humans have developed systems to manage it \u2013 sometimes with unintended consequences. \u00a0<\/p>\n

A few examples:<\/p>\n