There are 11 major watershed areas, covering 7500 square miles, whose rivers and creeks drain into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Land use in this diverse region includes urban and suburban development, extensive areas of irrigated croplands, managed timber lands, grazing lands and other agricultural activities. Extensive public lands with diverse multiple uses are also present, including lands under the management of the federal, state and local governments. As water passes over any of the land uses in the watershed, it can pick up a variety of potential uses such as sediments, oils and grease, nutrients, pesticides and pathogens which can be transported to the region’s rivers, wetlands, harbors and nearshore waters.