I'm not quite sure about the definition of "Watershed". If it means a sort of combination of the local natural environment and the community of people who live there, then I would have to say I am visitig in a watershed that ends about 40 miles away in one direction and 20 miles away in the other. The place where I now live is about the same size across. My hometown is located on the west face of the Northern US Rocky Mountain front. I would have to say that area extends about 200 miles (including Glacier Park) in rough diameter.

These might not be accurate though because they include several different types of natural environment (forest and prairie, for example).

I see that someone has already mentioned it--answers to this question plus several of the others can be researched by visiting the US Geological Survey website at www.usgs.gov.

Outstanding, thought-provoking quiz! It inspired a fascinating conversation with my husband which had us both consulting the globe, etc. Both of us answered identically to the question, "After the rain runs off your roof, where does it go?" The answer? "My basement!"

3miles.
little hill to north.

The next watershed is over the Spring mountains in Pahrump, about 10 miles as the crow flies. North about 150 miles is the Great Basin, which drains into no Sea at all. I could probably draw a decent watershed map as well.

About five to eight miles to reach southern Marin County watershed that drains west to ocean. Or about 10 miles to reach watershed near Pacifica that drains to ocean, otherwise all drain to San Francisco Bay.

1 km

I own waterrights so I have a map of my watershed. I would have to travel approximately 2 miles north, 1 mile east and 2 miles south to reach different watersheds. This information is available through my state's Department of Water Quality.

Watersheds can be defined in many ways. Locally I live near Three Mile Creek and Prickly Pear Creek. But the main water course is the Missouri River. Traveling 25 miles south of town to Boulder puts us in the Boulder River Valley--a new watershed. Traveling north 35 miles puts us into Wolf Creek Canyon--another new watershed. Both of these run into the Missouri River.

About 15 miles (see earlier comment on flushing) I can roughly trace the watershead boundary, but I wouldn't want to be held to it in a courtroom.

Roughly, the Lower Mainland is the watershed. You would have to travel about 100km south or east to get out of the area. North is where the physical watersheds are, so you'd have to go much further north. West is water.

I can't think of a general means of answering this. The GVRD (Greater Vancouver Regional District) has plenty of info on this, for this area, but in general, it varies. The last city I lived in drew water from a river (and put treated water back into it), so it's "watershed" had a very different geometry. However, the same information could have been determined from that municipality's website as well.

Roughly to the next county (ridge line to hills that run north and south) - about 15 miles. The ocean borders on the west about 20 miles. Roughly the next county south is where that next watershed is, about 35 miles. Roughly the next county north is where the next watershed is, about 35 miles.

Nearest distinct watershed: Our valley is over 100 miles long and the mountains on the east and west drain into it. Just south of us you're into the foothills, and once those get steep enough the drainage cuts west straight towards the Pacific - the South Fork of the Willamette, I believe, flows out to the sea.

Here is an interesting project happening in my watershed, in Pittsburgh. Designers, munipalities, and people in the neighborhood are collaborating to create a new entrance to our city park, which will filter and redevelop the existing management of rain water.

http://www.ninemilerun.org/programs/advocacy/gateway.htm

Wow, Surf Your Watershed is exactly the kind of tool I was looking for! Pretty cool. Because postings here are delayed (to weed out the spam) three different folks (Melody, Michael Boydston, and jquinby) all independently submitted this suggestion. Thanks folks!

About 20 miles to the nearest mountain ridge. I have a nice poster of my watershed I picked up from the same people who gave me a tour of the waste water treatment plant. It was especially interesting since it was a 3-D view facing south. I hung the poster in my office and some of my coworkers didn't recognize the area as their own home.

This one's a bit tricky since I'm in a valley that
drains into the Charles River, so the whole thing
is a great big complex basin covering a lot of eastern
Massachusetts. The local valley I can draw in detail
though. And about 1.5 miles from my house, there
is the crest to the Blackstone Valley, which drains
the other way to Rhode Island.

Looking at topographical maps is an entertaining
and educational activity - I recommend it. I had
the USGS quads for the area before topozone
came online, but topozone is so easy and
convenient that I hardly ever use the paper ones
anymore...

I found a lot about the local watershed on the USGS website along with lots of other things. http://www.usgs.gov/

As expected, not knowing the answers to these questions drove me crazy, and for some reason, the watershed question really bugged me. I found this site:

http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm

...which allows you to zero right in on watershed by zooming in on a map of the US. Located mine in a hurry.

Yes, and about 2 miles. I know this from driving around, but see below for more general method.

Topozone.com, USGS.

For Americans, EPA has a good place to start: http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm . (This is the "locate your watershed" page within the agency's "Surf Your Watershed" site (http://www.epa.gov/surf/).

My natural watershed comes off the western Sierra Nevadas at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley, but our canal system brings water from the Delta and points south and north of that. It backs up behind dams and is metedc out over the dry months. The closest other watershed in in the Coast Range mountains, though not much of it affects the San Joaquin.

http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm

1. Topographical map
2. Ask a school teacher
3. Go for a drive to the nearest mountains and look
4. Ask the local national parks people
5. Wather bureau
6. google it

I hike, so I can draw the watersheds of Northern NJ with just a topo map. I'd have to travel only 10 miles to hit three different distinct watersheds, although the Appalachian/ Adirondack one is the largest and probably describes the others.

Watershed info is a Nat'l Geological Survey responsibility; NWS as previously mentioned also has good data.

from about the middle of georgai south to just north of orlando. and east and west to the shores of florida.