What is a catchment?
A catchment is an area where water is collected by the natural landscape. In a catchment, all rain and run-off water eventually flows to a creek, river, lake or ocean, or into the groundwater system.
Natural and human systems such as rivers, bushland, farms, dams, homes, plants, animals and people can co-exist in a catchment.
Healthy catchments provide:
- a source of clean drinking water
- unspoilt natural areas for recreation and scenic enjoyment
- habitat for plants and animals
- healthy vegetation and waterways
- reliable and clean water for stock and irrigation, and
- opportunities for sustainable agribusiness and industry.
Our daily activities affect the health of our catchments. The first step towards protecting our catchments is better understanding our impact on them.
The SCA is entrusted to ensure that activity, particularly building, industry and farming, in Sydney's catchments does not harm the environment that our drinking water comes from.
