Catchment Areas
Date: __________________
A catchment area is all the land from which the river catches or gathers its water. When it
rains all the water eventually soaks into the ground, flows into a river or evaporates
immediately evaporate. The underground water and the water in the rivers will eventually
flow to the sea.
Look at the picture at the bottom of the page. It is of a place called the River Xingu. Notice
that the river consists of several branches or tributaries. The starting point of a river is called
the source. All the tributaries join to form one big river which flows out to sea at the mouth of
the river.
All the land which is drained by the River Xingu and its tributaries is called the Xingu
catchment area.
The River Xingu and its tributaries flow across fertile soil covered in rich grass. Near the
source of the river there are thick forests. At the moment nobody lives in this catchment area.
Imagine that 10 000 people move into this catchment area. All these people will need
water for their daily needs. They will need food so farms must be established. They
will need a power supply. They will need houses schools and jobs.
1. In the space provided below.
Draw the catchment area again including all the changes I have talked about in the last
part of the first note (In bold). You can do it portrait or landscape.
2. Do you think these changes will harm the catchment area in anyway? Explain fully.
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