A watershed is an area of land that water flows across as it moves toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or coast. The Alafia River watershed is approximately 270,000 acres, or 418 square miles. Although a portion of the watershed lies in Polk County, most of it lies in Hillsborough County. In fact, it’s the largest watershed in Hillsborough County.
Land and water share an intimate connection. As water drains to lower terrain, it carries pollutants and contaminants with it. This means our activities in the watershed, even many miles from the river’s banks, eventually impact the Alafia River, the Hillsborough Bay and, ultimately, Tampa Bay.