How do mountain watersheds affect our oceans, waves and beaches?
Each spring, winter snowfall that has accumulated in our country’s mountains begins to melt and starts its long journey to the sea. As this water travels down alpine creeks and streams, it picks up sediments. The water from these tributaries then merge into larger rivers, which often flow for hundreds of miles before reaching the coast. As water from these rivers empty into the ocean, coastal currents and waves spread sand and other sediments up and down the coast, helping to replenish our beaches. The water from these inland sources also contains nutrients that are crucial to maintain healthy coastal ecosystems such as estuaries, sloughs and marshes. However the same water that flows down from our mountains also runs through agricultural and urban areas, where it can also pick up biological and toxic contaminates. Pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals used in farming can wreak havoc on downstream ecosystems. Cities and other developed area also take their toll on water quality.
