Forests are essential to maintaining water quality and supply.
Through their natural structures and lifecycles, forests influence how precipitation flows into watersheds. Their trees function as filters by removing sediment, bacteria, pollution, and other contaminants as the water passes. Root systems anchor soil and other material to the forest floor, preventing erosion. These natural filtering and cleaning benefits are why forests are the best land use for protecting water resources.
Water moves differently through forested landscapes compared to other landscape uses. When it rains or snows on a forest, precipitation hits the forest canopy, which is then slowed and guided to the forest floor. As the water reaches the forest soils, most is absorbed and slowly released to nearby streams or groundwater aquifers.
Communities and ecosystems throughout the U.S. depend on forests for abundant, clean water. While forests comprise about one-third of the total land area in the U.S., they contribute 50% of the total available water supply. According to the U.S. Forest Service, nearly 30% of our nation’s drinking water comes from privately owned forests.