catchment

1. (often attributive) Any structure or land feature which catches and holds water; the collection of such water.Examples: "Do you think that there ought to be some board or some authority for each catchment basin, which must be appointed with adequate powers to prevent the pollution of streams?"; "[paragraph 515] Now let us come to this point: you are quite clear that serious evil exists in this union of navigation and drainage? […] [paragraph 517] And you are also clear that one obstacle is the taxation of the catchment area, and that it needs some plan to be devised for meeting it, although this plan may have defects?"; "The catchment area is the slope of a great mountain range covered with fine forests, and there are many good reservoir sites."attributiveoften