What Is a Watershed?
In simple terms, a watershed is the area of land that catches rain and snow that drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, lake or groundwater. In the Toronto region, all watersheds are river watersheds, with the exception of the waterfront which drains into Lake Ontario.
Select the image below to download an accessible PDF version of TRCA’s watershed fact sheet.
You’re in a Watershed Now
Wherever you may be in the Toronto region right now, you are in a watershed.
TRCA’s Watershed Reporting Hub
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) launched its Watershed and Ecosystems Reporting Hub in 2021, to coincide with Earth Day.
This platform takes an innovative approach to reporting on watershed and ecosystem conditions and allows the user to interactively explore information about TRCA’s watersheds and the waterfront in the Toronto region.
The Reporting Hub identifies current conditions by theme, and explains the importance of different environmental indicators for understanding watershed and ecosystem health.
It also shows how conditions are changing over time, and where they are relative to where TRCA would like them to be.