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A drainage area is where rain and snowmelt water drains into a single body of water, such as a river or lake. Drainage area maps are important for wastewater management and development planning. Changing a drainage area is difficult, and pollutants can be traced back to their source by examining maps. Wetlands act as filters to protect natural areas, but some have been drained for agriculture and are now being restored.
A drainage area is a portion of land on which rain and snowmelt water drains into a single body of water. This body of water can be a marsh, drainage pond, lake, river, or tributary. The drainage area of an area is very important as it determines the wastewater management strategy and can help determine the source of the pollutants.
Drainage area maps are very important when they help determine not only low-lying areas, but also how future development might affect those areas. In many cases, to keep pollutants from entering more natural areas, developments are needed to build some type of catchment area in order to keep the water from moving. This basin is often referred to as a drainage pond. Some of these are simply fenced off and left unattended, while others are used as centerpieces for parks or other recreational areas.
Understanding the nuances of a drainage area can also help in other development-related ways. For example, examining a specific drainage area can help determine where buildings and roads should be constructed and which areas should be avoided. Maps showing drainage areas are often available from local governments or national organizations, such as the US Geological Survey.
Changing a drainage area, or diverting water from one, is often very difficult because so much of it depends on the natural land relief of the area. The physical divisions between areas are often very formidable and create significant obstacles. This is why areas prone to flooding tend to remain flood-prone, and areas that are flood-free also often tend to remain flood-prone. While it may seem as simple as diverting water to another area, it would take a great deal of money and time to actually do it.
If a pollutant is found, the problem can often be traced to the source by those who know what a drainage area is. Rarely does the problem initially start where it is. Thus, scientists and environmental practitioners can trace a source of the problem by looking at maps and taking field readings as they go.
To prevent this from becoming a problem, some drainage areas have buffers and wetlands that act as a filter before the water flows into the tributaries. Some of these are natural and some of these are man-made with the specific purpose of protecting other natural areas. In some cases, wetlands have been drained because the accumulation of organic material has made them prime areas for agriculture. Some of these are now being restored through public or public/private partnerships.
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