The land area that drains into a specific water body is called which term?

• A. Reservoir
• B. Watershed
• C. Basin
• D. Drainage area

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is the watershed concept: the land area that drains into a specific water body is defined as a watershed. It’s the geographic region where rainfall and surface runoff are collected and channeled through streams and rivers toward that particular body of water. The outer edge is set by ridgelines that separate neighboring drainage areas, so water on one side flows to one water body and water on the other side flows to a different one. This concept is essential for understanding how pollutants travel to the outlet, how water supply and flood risks are managed, and how land use in the area affects the water body.

Reservoir refers to a man-made storage area, not the land that drains into a water body. Basin can be used similarly in many contexts, but watershed is the more precise term for the land area contributing water to a specific outlet. Drainage area is often used interchangeably with watershed, but the standard term highlighted here is watershed.