Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Delineating Watersheds
Delineating Watersheds
Modeling:
How to delineate a watershed using a printed topographical map
See NRCS handout: How to Read a Topographic Map
and Delineate a Watershed
Starting at the circle , draw a line
connecting the “x's" along one side of
Mark the outlet (circle); Mark the high the waterbody . This line should
points adjacent to the stream or lake always cross the contours at right
(“x’s”) angles (i.e. it should be perpendicular
to each contour line it crosses).
Practice Exercises; Watershed & Lakeshed Delineation
Follow the steps just discussed:
•Mark the outlet
•Mark the high points adjacent to the water body
•Connect the marks; always cross a contour line at right
angle (perpendicular).
Delineating Exercise 1
Start with a “lakeshed”; the land area contributing
(draining) to a lake.
The lake is Four Point Lake in Cass County, near
Hackensack, Minnesota
ADD OUTLET
MARK HIGH POINTS
NEAR LAKE
CONNECT THE
MARKS
Delineating Exercise 2
A watershed of a stream.
The small stream south of the Kadunce River, near
Covill (just north of Grand Marais) in Cook County.
ADD OUTLET
MARK HIGH POINTS
NEAR StREAM
CONNECT THE
MARKS
Remember
contour lines
often point up
stream; so near
outlet make sure
you don’t include
other near by very
small streams