Interactive Watershed Illustration

Everyone lives in a watershed. Wildlife lives there, too. A watershed is an area of land that water flows across or through on its way tp a particular water body, such as a stream, river, wetland, lake or coast. Think about it as the land upon which precipitation (such as rain) falls and flows to a common, watery place. This representative watershed highlights features that are often found in many watersheds across Canada. Learn about the various features and species of plants and animals in this watershed by rolling your mouse over the illustration. Then go out and discover the watersheds in your area.

White birch (Betula papyrifera)
Once a source for making aboriginal
birchbark canoes, this sun-loving tree is also beneficial to wildlife. Birch seeds are eaten in the autumn by many birds
and moose and deer include birch leaves as part of their diet. As with many trees, the roots help prevent erosion and the canopy offers shelter to small animals from predators, sun, wind and rain.

White water lily (Nymphaea odorata)
This plant, stunning when in flower, is highly beneficial to wildlife. All plant parts, from nectar to roots, provide nourishment to many animals such as insects, beavers, porcupines and even loons. White water lilies also create necessary shelter and shade for underwater dwellers.

Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor)
This wild iris is found in sunny wet areas and is beautiful to behold when in flower, typically in the early summer. It is also appealing to hummingbirds that drink its nectar, bees that use its pollen, and muskrats, beavers and waterfowl that eat the rhizomes.

Osprey Platform
Ospreys nest in tall trees and snags. However, with increasing development these natural nesting sites are becoming harder to find. To help compensate for this loss of habitat, groups across Canada are erecting artificial nesting platforms that ospreys are readily using.

Snags
A snag is a dead or dying tree that is still standing. They are used by many bird, amphibian, reptile and mammal species as feeding, nesting and shelter sites.

Northern Water Snake
(Nerodia sipedon)
Found in the southern areas of Ontario and Quebec, northern water snakes are great swimmers and are usually found near permanent bodies of fresh water. If you see a snake near water, chances are it’s a northern water snake!

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta)
This colourful turtle prefers freshwater systems that are shallow and slow-moving. Painted turtles like to bask in the sun on logs and sometimes share the same log with up to 50 other basking turtles!

Sockeye Salmon
(Oncorhynchus nerka)
Sockeye salmon are an anadromous species, which means they migrate from oceans to fresh water — usually a lake — to spawn. The young remain in the lake for a few years before migrating to the ocean.

Dams
Dams are built for many reasons, including for reducing flood waters, harnessing energy and maintaining a dependable source of water. In doing so, dams can change the chemistry and temperature of water, alter the movement of organisms and nutrients, and change aquatic and riparian habitats.

Agriculture
Agriculture makes up one of the largest sectors in Canada and uses approximately 67.5 million hectares of land — that’s 7 per cent of the country’s land base. Agriculture can negatively impact both the quality and abundance of water in part due to nutrient loading and pesticide use.

Urbanization
As rural areas become more urbanized with the growing demands for housing developments, industrial areas, shopping centres and roads can impact water systems. As well, removing trees and vegetation increases the chances of flooding and sedimentation, lowers water tables and reduces the number of wetlands.

Nesting Box
Nesting boxes create habitat for cavity-nesting birds such as bluebirds and black-capped chickadees. With trees being cut down for development or blown down in storms, the number of natural nest cavities is declining and as a consequence, so are the homes of many Canadian birds. By putting up a nesting box, you will be helping the cavity nesters in your neighbourhood.

Water Cycle
Also known as the hydrologic cycle, the water cycle regulates the allocation of water from oceans to the atmosphere through evaporation, and then back to the oceans again through run-off and groundwater flow.

Canadian Toad (Bufo hemiophrys)
Mostly ranging in Canada, Canadian toads are often found on land but depend on lakes and ponds for breeding and for avoiding predators. This is the smallest species of toad found in Alberta.

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Northern leopard frogs occupy a range of habitats from lakes, ponds and marshes to wooded areas. Outside of their breeding season, northern leopard frogs may be found further away from water. They hibernate at the bottom of waters that do not completely freeze.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
The monarch butterfly is highly dependent on milkweed. This is the host plant for their larvae (caterpillars) and consequently the only plant that feeds them. Adults use nectar from a variety of plants to fuel their migration each year to Mexico and back.

Polyphemus Moth
(Antheraea polyphemus)
Large adult moths can be seen in June and the caterpillars around mid-July in wooded areas. The caterpillars blend into their environment so well that they often go unnoticed by people. The nocturnal adults are often attracted to lights.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
An easily identifiable butterfly, the red admiral is found in wooded areas, parks and marshes. Females lay their eggs on plants belonging to the nettle family.

Beaver (Castor canadensis)
The beaver is the largest rodent in North America and is built for life in aquatic environments. Besides having a tail that functions as a rudder, the beaver can also see underwater just as well as on land and can close its nostrils while submerged. Beavers help create and maintain wetlands.

Moose (Alces alces)
The largest member of the deer family, moose live in wooded areas with swamps or lakes. Part of their diet is made up of aquatic plants such as pondweeds, water lilies and bladderworts.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
The mallard, one of the most familiar ducks, belongs to the group known as the dabbling ducks. Most common in the prairies, their favourite habitat is grassland that surrounds sloughs, marshes and other wetlands.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
The largest bird of prey in Canada, the bald eagle builds a big nest usually in a tree near an ocean or body of fresh water. The bald eagle prefers to eat fish, mammals and aquatic birds that it obtains by hunting, scavenging or stealing.

Common Merganser
(Mergus merganser)
The common merganser is a large duck that primarily builds its nest in tree cavities near lakes and rivers. Because of its high placement in the food chain, the common merganser acts as an environmental indicator for lake health.

Green-Winged Teal (Anas crecca)
North America’s smallest dabbling duck, the green-winged teal often inhabits inland wetlands. Rather than diving for food, it searches shallow water for various invertebrates and plant seeds.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)
These shorebirds are found along shorelines where they can be seen bobbing along looking for fish, mayflies, crustaceans, beetles and other food items. Their nest is a depression in the ground near water. Females typically lay four eggs.

Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
An endangered species in Canada, the piping plover is found on the shores of lakes, rivers and oceans. Not only are the adults camouflaged in this habitat but so are their eggs. Females typically lay four speckled eggs in a sand-gravel depression.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Great blue herons forage in the calm waters of both marine and freshwater environments. Their diet consists primarily of small fish, but they also prey on small birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects.

Common Loon (Gavia immer)
Known for its haunting call, this bird can stay underwater for nearly a minute as it dives for prey. Fish, especially perch, catfish, minnows and sunfish, are its preferred prey. The common loon spends most of its time in the water, even while sleeping, to avoid predators.

Pileated Woodpecker
(Dryocopus pileatus)
The pileated woodpecker can be readily identified by its size and red crest. Dead trees often found near streams provide it with nesting sites and feeding stations where it searches for ants and beetles.

Barred Owl (Strix varia)
The barred owl primarily hunts at night for small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and sometimes fish. This species is found in wet woodlands and nests in tree cavities.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
A large bird of prey, the osprey lives along the shorelines of oceans, lakes and rivers. It builds its nest in tall trees and hunts by diving and plunging into the water in an effort to catch a spotted fish.