This morning’s dog walk was along the easy-to-walk water company road through the nearby Mt. Baldy watershed. The other end of this space is a large dam on the edge of a fully empty basin. It hasn’t rained enough in many years to fill even a tiny portion of the basin.
A watershed is an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel. The word watershed is sometimes used interchangeably with drainage basin or catchment. Ridges and hills that separate two watersheds are called the drainage divide. ~ U.S. Geological Survey Water Science School
Above, the dam and basin, March 29. Below, the mountains after a bit of precipitation, April 26.
MK pix 
I still can’t get over how sharply the hills rise from the canyon floor. Nice shots and that snow was amazingly recent!
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I agree Eliza. The mountains are so huge & steep, like a presence. And it’s astonishing that we’ve had rain this late in spring. With the mountain being so high, it seems to always become snow. It’d be great to get a summer rain (like that’s going to happen) and see what happens up high.
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I kind kind of relate to the watershed with no water as I once had a tool shed that had no tools. Ironically it was because of water getting in and rusting the tools.
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I expect you converted the tool shed to a summer cottage? Or maybe not, if it leaks. Or maybe yes, because it’d cool you off in summer.
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Those are some serious hills! Too bad mother nature can’t supply a little more water there. Is this the catchment where you saw the red-winged blackbird?
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Serious indeed, Mic. My old knees appreciate the flat road into the basin, and the long gentle switchbacks up on the hill.
Yes, this is the same catchment where I saw the red-winged blackbird. I thought of our ‘conversation’ when I made this post.
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I understand the appreciation of flat roads and gentle switchbacks. I have been using a single trekking pole as a walking stick the last few years especially on some of the steeper trails. It seems to make for easier walking.
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Good to know I’m not alone. I don’t have a trekking pole, so I use a monopod as my walking stick. Plus, it makes me feel safer.
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When I think I’ll need it I’ll carry my tripod instead…much heavier but works just as well on steep hills. I never had a monopod although I have considered it.
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It was very cloudy here today. I was hoping for some rain, but all we had was a barely discernible mist for a short while. We could sure use more rain. I’m not ready to start watering yet!
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We’re back in watering mode. 😦
Although, we had rain later into spring than I can ever recall. Even a bit of rain, or just cloud cover, helps save on water.
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Super
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Thank you!!!
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🙂
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