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River Basin Watershed
Another term for a basin is a large watershed. A watershed is defined as "The entire physical area drained by a distinct stream or riverine system, physically separated from other watersheds by ridge-top boundaries." This is the Mississippi River Basin. It drains parts of 28 states. Notice that the Upper Chippewa Basin is part of the larger Upper Mississippi River Basin.
Just like the Chippewa River's watershed is part of the Mississippi River Basin, there are smaller sub watersheds within the Upper Chippewa Basin. To see what the sub watersheds are, check out the Basin map page.
Impacts from human activities like housing development in towns, forestry, agriculture, road building, industrial development, filling wetlands, as well as natural events like powerful storms combine to affect the quality of water flowing out of the watershed. The water that flows out of a watershed comes from several sources, including: groundwater that percolates from the earth's surface, runoff from the earth's surface, and water that collects and drains from the earth's surface in lakes.
The health of a watershed and the quality of its water and habitat depends upon the actions of everyone living in it, from farmers managing their pesticide use to the average citizens' proper handling of cleaning supplies in their home. Each one of us can make a difference in protecting our watershed. 
Source: Doppelt, Bob, Mary Scurlock, Chris Frissell, and James Karr. (1993: xiv). Entering the Watershed: A new approach to save America's River Ecosystems. Washington, DC: Island Press. Copyright: Pacific Rivers Council.
To learn more about watersheds, visit the following sites:
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Surf Your Watershed
Center for Watershed Protection
adopting your watershed on the EPA's site.