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A

acre-foot

An acre-foot covers 1 acre of land 1 foot deep; 43,560 cubic feet; 325,851.4 gallons

ADCP

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler - This device sends out sonar beams in 3 directions and uses the differences in the signals to map the vertical distribution of currents in a lake.

ANOVA

Analysis of Variance

ArcInfo

Geographic Information System (GIS) software package by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).

ASCII

American Standard Code for Information Interchange

AT test

Ambient Toxicity test - Laboratory test which uses fish and invertebrates to determine the presence of toxic conditions in surface water samples.

AWRL

Ambient Water Reporting Limit

B

BOD

Biochemical Oxygen Demand - a measure of how much dissolved oxygen is being consumed as microbes break down organic matter.

C

CALS

Continuous Acquisition and Life-Cycle Support

CASE

Computer Aided Software Engineering

cBOD

Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand - The method departs from customary methods for determining Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in its use of a chemical inhibitor to block nitrification, thus preventing the nitrogenous, or second stage, BOD from being consumed.

Ceriodaphnia dubia

Common Name: Water Flea; Invertebrate species used in freshwater chronic and acute toxicity tests. (actual size approximately 1 to 2 mm)

CFR

Code of Federal Regulations - a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the Executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

CFS

cubic feet per second; 450 gallons per minute (gpm); 646,360 gallons per day; for 24 hours: 1.983 acre-feet; for 30 days: 59.5 acre-feet; for 1 year: 724 acre-feet

CFU

Colony-Forming Unit

ChlA

Chlorophyll A - Chlorophyll a is the green pigment in plants that is used for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll a is an indicator of the total quantity of algae in a lake.

Chlorides

Chloride is a salt compound resulting from the combination of the gas chlorine and a metal.

COC

Chain of Custody - procedure used to track who has been involved with handling of water quality samples

Collectors

Functional Feeding Group: Consume fine particulate organic matter deposited on the stream bottom

CRP

Texas Clean Rivers Program - Senate Bill 818 (SB 818), known as the Texas Clean Rivers Act, was enacted in 1991 by the 72nd Legislature to ensure the comprehensive regional assessment of water quality in each watershed and river basin of the State.

cubic foot

7.8 gallons (62.4 pounds) of water

Customers of the TCRP

The Customers of the TCRP include state agencies, state government, fee payers, and the public

Cyprinodon variegatus

Common Name: Sheepshead Minnow; Vertebrate species used in saltwater chronic and acute toxicity tests. (actual size approximately 3 to 4 inches)

D

Data Management Tasks Force

Group of representatives from TCRP planning partners and a liaison with TNRCC formed to develop guidance data related issues.

Database Front End

Computer application that connects to database tables and provides user-friendly access to database functions such as entering, updating, querying, reporting, and deleting of data.

DMP

Data Management Plan - a document that establishes an overall plan for the data management requirements for a specific project.

DO

Dissolved Oxygen - Dissolved oxygen is for the survival of fish and other aquatic life. Water should be more than 80 percent saturated with dissolved oxygen to adequately support aquatic plants and animals .

DQO

Data Quality Objective - This is a systematic planning tool used to establish criteria for data quality, to define tolerable error rates and to develop a data collection design.

DXF

Drawing Interchange File - file format AutoCAD ® uses to interchange drawing data with other applications, including GIS.

E

EC

E. coli - E. coli bacteria are used to indicate the human health risk from harmful microorganisms present in water – particularly from human or animal feces.

Ecoregion

Geographical framework based on regional patterns in land-surface form, soil, potential natural vegetation, and land use.

EPA

Environmental Protection Agency; EPA's mission is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment — air, water, and land — upon which life depends.

Epilimnion

The epilimnion is the freely circulating surface water of a lentic (standing water) ecosystem

ESRI

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. of Redlands, CA., - GIS and Mapping Software Products and Services

Eutrophication

Eutrophication refers to the extreme nutrient enrichment of aquatic systems.

Expected Biological Conditions

An area meets expected biological conditions when organisms found match what the habitat should support.

F

Facultative

This term refers to organisms that can adapt to pollution but prefer unpolluted conditions.

FC

Fecal Coliform - The presence of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in aquatic environments indicates that the water has been contaminated with the fecal material of man or other animals.

Filterers

Functional Feeding Group: Consume fine particulate organic matter suspended in the water column

Fixed Station Monitoring

Fixed Station Monitoring includes sites that are monitored over a long period at strategic locations in key waterbodies in the Sabine Basin. The monitoring sites are located primarily in waterbodies that serve as drinking water supply sources, recreation areas, and areas that receive treated wastewater.

Flat File Database

A flat file database stores data in grid similar to spreadsheet. Rows and columns correspond to records and fields, respectively. Tables can not be connected as in a relational database.

FOD

TCEQ Field Operations Division - The Field Operations Division consists of 16 regional offices and two special project offices located throughout the state, and a central office located in Austin.

Functional Feeding Group

A group of benthic organisms that obtain food in the same fundamental way (e.g.,. filtering organic particles from the water, scraping algae from rocks, predation).

FY 93 Program Guidance

The FY 93 Program Guidance specified content and format for Work Plans. The Work Plan Outline provided with this guidance is included in the FY 94-94 Program Guidance Appendix B. Work Plan Outline.

FY 94-95 Program Guidance

The FY 94-95 Program Guidance provided guidance for development of proposed work plans and budgets for the baseline program in FY94-95 and technical guidance for specific program work tasks.

G

GIS

Geographic Information System - A GIS is a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information; that is, data identified according to location. GIS technology can be used for scientific investigations, resource management, and development planning.

gpm

gallons per minute; 1,000 gpm = 2.23 cfs, 4.42 acre-feet per day

GPS

Global Positioning System - GPS provides specially coded satellite signals that can be processed in a receiver, enabling the receiver to compute position, velocity and time.

H

HDPE

High Density Polyethylene - A kind of plastic used in the manufacturing of bottles and other products. It produces toxic fumes when burned and is often recycled.

HGAC

Houston-Galveston Area Council - a voluntary association of local governments and local elected officials in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning Region, an area of 12,500 square miles with over 5 million people.

Hydrography

The description and study of water bodies such as seas, rivers, and lakes.

Hydrology

The scientific study of the properties, distribution, and affects of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and under ground, and in the atmosphere.

Hypolimnion

The hypolimnion is the lower layer of a lentic (standing water) ecosystem

K

Kruskal-Wallis Test

A nonparametric statistical method that tests the hypothesis that the different samples in the comparison were drawn from the same distribution or from distributions with the same median.

L

Layer

A logical set of thematic data described and stored in a map library.

LCS

Laboratory Control Standard

LCSD

Laboratory Control Standard Duplicate

LDPE

Low Density Polyethylene - has very high impact resistance, modest structural strength and good resistance to a wide range of chemicals.

Lentic Ecosystem

A lentic ecosystem is characterized by standing water

Lethality

The results from an Ambient Toxicity test in which the sample had statistically significant higher mortality in the test organisms than the controls. This indicates a toxic condition.

Limnology

Limnology is the study of freshwater ecosystems

LIMS

Laboratory Information Management System

Lotic Ecosystem

A lotic ecosystem is characterized by running water

LTAP

Long Term Action Plan - the goals and program plans for the planning partners of the Texas Clean Rivers Program.

M

Major Rivers Program

Public information service provided by the Sabine River Authority and other river authorities.

MAL

Minimum Analytical Limit

MDL

Method Detection Limit

MDM&A

Monitoring Data Management and Analysis

Metalimnion

The metalimnion is a mixing zone within a lentic ecosystem

MGD

1 million gallons (3.07 acre-feet) per day; 1120.14 acre-feet per year

Miners

Functional Feeding Group: Consume organic matter accumulated in the sediment of the stream bottom

MPN

Most Probable Number

Mysidopsis bahia

Common Name: Mysid Shrimp; Invertebrate species used in saltwater chronic and acute toxicity tests. (actual size approximately 1 cm)

N

NH3-N

Ammonia Nitrogen - an inorganic, dissolved form of nitrogen that can be found in water, but in the presence of oxygen will convert to nitrate.

Nitrate/Nitrite/Nitrogen

Nitrogen is one of the most abundant elements. About 80 percent of the air we breath is nitrogen. It is found in the cells of all living things and is a major component of proteins. Inorganic nitrogen may exist in the free state as a gas N2, or as nitrate NO3-, nitrite NO2-, or ammonia NH3+. Organic nitrogen is found in proteins and is continually recycled by plants and animals. (Credit: referenced link)

No Toxicity

The results from an Ambient Toxicity test in which there was no statistically significant difference between the sample and the controls. This indicates a nontoxic condition.

NO3-N

Nitrate Nitrogen - Nitrogen-containing compounds act as nutrients in streams and rivers. Nitrate reactions [NO3-] in fresh water can cause oxygen depletion.

Nonparametric

Refers to statistical methods that do not depend on the distribution of the population(s) being sampled.

NPS

Nonpoint Source Pollution - Accumulations of contaminants that do not come from a single place such as an industrial site, or from a specific outlet such as a pipe.

O

oP

Ortho-phosphorus - that portion of total phosphorus which is in a soluble form and immediately available to plant life for synthesis.

OPRR

Office of Permitting, Remediation, and Registration (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality): implements the federal and state laws and regulations governing all aspects of permitting for the air, water and waste programs; oversees the investigation and cleanup of hazardous pollutants released into the environment; registers and manages the reporting requirements for certain facilities; and implements the petroleum storage tank reimbursement program.

P

pH

pH is a measure of the acidic or basic (alkaline) nature of a solution. The concentration of the hydrogen ion [H+] activity in a solution determines the pH.

Piercers

Functional Feeding Group: Feed on the fluids of animals or plants

Pimephales promelas

Common Name: Fathead Minnow; Vertebrate species used in freshwater chronic and acute toxicity. (actual size approximately 3 to 4 inches)

Predators

Functional Feeding Group: Feed primarily on other organisms

Program Partners

Organizations conducting regional assessments of one or more Texas river basins for the Texas Clean Rivers Program.

Program Rules

Texas Commission on Water Quality Rules for the Texas Clean Rivers Program: §§ 220.1 - 220.7 of the Texas Water Code; Regional Assessments of Water Quality

Q

QA/QC

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control - Process for correctly following methods of analysis, media and reagent preparation and storage, and analytical quality-control procedures.

QAM

Quality Assurance Manual

QAO

Quality Assurance Officer

QAPP

Quality Assurance Project Plan

QAS

Quality Assurance Specialist

QMP

Quality Management Plan

R

RBA

Rapid Bioassessment - evaluation of the biological conditions of a waterbody that uses biological surveys of the resident plants, animals, and other living organisms that depend upon the aquatic resource.

Reach

Reaches organize the Sabine Basin's 110 subwatersheds into seven groupings roughly corresponds to the old segment system for the main-stem of the river.

Relational Database

Data management system designed to enhance data independence and consistency by severing the connection to physical storage devices and by providing for rigorous definitions of both data structure and data manipulation.

RPD

Relative Percent Deviation

S

Sampling Design and Analysis Task Force

A group of representatives from TCRP planning partners through a liaison with TNRCC formed to develop guidance for the statistically-based sampling design, basin-wide monitoring plans, and data analysis.

SB 818

Senate Bill 818 - In 1991 the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Clean Rivers Act (Senate Bill 818). The goal was to provide waterways in this State with coordinated monitoring and protection, and also to find out where the water quality problems are and come up with solutions on a river basin by river basin basis.

Scrapers

Functional Feeding Group: Feed on algae and other organisms attached to the surfaces of under water objects such as leaves, sticks, or rocks

Secchi Depth

An eight inch disk with black and white quandrants used to determine water clarity.

Segment

The Texas Surface Water Quality Standards has established fourteen (14) designated segments in the Sabine Basin with segment specific criteria for their protection.

SETRPC

South East Texas Regional Planning Commission - a voluntary association of local governments that serves an area composed of Hardin, Jefferson and Orange Counties.

Shredders

Functional Feeding Group: Consume coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM), primarily live or dead plant materials

Significant Difference

An estimated measure of the degree to which a result is "true."

SOD

Sediment Oxygen Demand - the rate of oxygen consumption exerted by the bottom sediment on the overlying water.

SOP

Standard Operating Procedure - the purpose of an SOP is to provide direction by documenting procedures to be followed during the planning and implementation of a project or program.

South Central Plains Region

Ecoregion that extends from south of Lake Fork to south of Newton, Texas, in the Sabine Basin.

SRA

Sabine River Authority of Texas - The Sabine River Authority of Texas was created by the Legislature in 1949 as an official agency of the State of Texas. The Authority was created as a conservation and reclamation district with responsibilities to control, store, preserve, and distribute the waters of the Sabine River and its tributary system for useful purposes.

Sublethality

The results from an Ambient Toxicity test in which the sample had statistically significant lower reproduction or growth than the controls. This indicates a possible toxic condition.

Subwatershed

Area of a river basin based on the tributaries and their watersheds as defined by the area's natural topography.

SWQM

Surface Water Quality Monitoring - The TCEQ Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program provides for an integrated evaluation of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of aquatic systems in relation to human health concerns, ecological condition, and designated uses.

SWQMP

Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program - The Sabine River Watershed Management Program (SRWMP) is comprised of several components that are integrated to provide for addressing a wide range of water-related issues in the Sabine River Basin, Texas.

Systematic Monitoring

Systematic monitoring includes sites that are monitored for short periods of one to two years. The monitoring sites are located primarily in smaller tributaries where potential impacts to water quality may exist. Systematic monitoring includes field and laboratory tests as well as biological tests (Rapid Bioassessments and Ambient Toxicity).

T

TAES

Texas Agricultural Extension Service - Provides quality, relevant outreach and continuing education programs and services to the people of Texas.

TCEQ

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the lead environmental agency for the state.

TCRA

Texas Clean Rivers Act - In 1991 the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Clean Rivers Act (Senate Bill 818). The goal was to provide waterways in this State with coordinated monitoring and protection, and also to find out where the water quality problems are and come up with solutions on a river basin by river basin basis.

TCRP

Texas Clean Rivers Program - In 1991 the Texas Legislature passed the Texas Clean Rivers Act (Senate Bill 818). The goal was to provide waterways in this State with coordinated monitoring and protection, and also to find out where the water quality problems are and come up with solutions on a river basin by river basin basis.

TDS

Total Dissolved Solids - Elevated total dissolved solids can result in your water having a bitter or salty taste; result in incrustations, films, or precipitates on fixtures; corrosion of fixtures, and reduced efficiency of water filters.

Temperature Stratification

Each year the waters of many lentic ecosystems undergo seasonal changes in temperature. In colder climates, when surface waters thaw and reach 4 degrees C.

Thematic Map

A portrayal of some geographic variable or theme, such as land use, geology, or population distribution, by shading or symbolizing areas or map features to represent the value or class of that theme [AntenucciEtAl91]

Theme

A collection of geographic objects defined by the user. Geographic objects are organized logically into groups of layers or themes [ESRI93]. See also Layer.

Thermocline

The thermocline is a plane within the metalimnion of lentic ecosystems at which the temperature drops most rapidly

TIGER/Line File

Data file in the Topological Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing data format used by the U.S. Census Bureau to support census programs and surveys.

TKN

Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen

TMDL

Total Maximum Daily Load - A TMDL or Total Maximum Daily Load is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources.

TNRCC

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (now Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)

TNRIS

Texas Natural Resource Information System - The Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS), a Division of the Texas Water Development Board, is the state's clearinghouse for maps, aerial photos, and digital natural resources data. TNRIS also serves as a distribution center for U.S. Geological Survey maps and has numerous other map collections available for in-house use or reproduction.

TOC

Total Organic Carbon - Organic matter plays a major role in aquatic systems. It affects biogeochemical processes, nutrient cycling, biological availability, chemical transport and interactions. It also has direct implications in the planning of wastewater treatment and drinking water treatment. Organic matter content is typically measured as total organic carbon and dissolved organic carbon, which are essential components of the carbon cycle. (credit referenced link)

Topographical Map

A map type showing a limited set of features but include minimal information about elevations or landforms as contours. Most people think of the 1:24000 scale maps when referring to Topographic or Topo Maps. These Maps are produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have a distinctive green background and are also known as quad sheets, 7.5’ maps, 24K maps. The USGS however, publishes maps in several scales including 1:24000, 1:100000 & 1: 250000 scales.

Topography

The configuration of a surface, including its relief and the position of its natural and man-made features.

Total Phosphorus

Phosphorus is one of the key elements necessary for growth of plants and animals. Animal feed lots, dairies and wastewater treatment plants can add phosphorus to streams. (Credit: referenced link)

TPWD

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Mission: To manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.

TRACS

Texas Regulatory and Compliance System

TSS

Total Suspended Solids - Total Suspended Solids (TSS) are solids in water that can be trapped by a filter. TSS can include a wide variety of material, such as silt, decaying plant and animal matter, industrial wastes, and sewage. High concentrations of suspended solids can cause many problems for stream health and aquatic life. (referenced link)

TSSWCB

Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board - The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB) was established by the Texas Legislature to administer the Texas Soil Conservation Law. It is the lead agency for the planning, management and abatement of agricultural and silvicultural nonpoint source pollution.

TSWQS

Texas Surface Water Quality Standards - The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) sets surface water quality standards in an effort to maintain the quality of water in the state consistent with public health and enjoyment, protection of aquatic life, operation of existing industries and economic development of the state, as well as to encourage and promote development and use of regional and areawide wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal systems.

TWC

Texas Water Commission - predecessor to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

TWDB

Texas Water Development Board - The TWDB is the state agency charged with statewide water planning and administration of low-cost financial programs for the planning, design and construction of water supply, wastewater treatment, flood control and agricultural water conservation projects. The TWDB can make financial assistance available primarily to political subdivisions. The TWDB has no authority to provide financial assistance to individuals.

TxDOT

Texas Department of Transportation - The mission of the Texas Department of Transportation is to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods.

U

UBFO

Upper Basin Field Office - located at the Lake Fork Division Office near Quitman, Texas.

uBOD20

Ultimate Biochemical Oxygen Demand – 20 day

USGS

United States Geological Survey - The USGS, a bureau of the Department of the Interior, provides reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.

V

VS

Volatile Solids

VSS

Volatile Suspended Solids

W

WAIS

Wide Area Information Servers - Wide Area Information Servers [WAIS] index each word in every readable file and provide the means to make the index available for query, process queries and deliver results

Water Temperature

High water temperatures stress aquatic ecosystems by reducing the ability of water to hold essential dissolved gasses like oxygen. (Credit: referenced link)

Western Gulf Coast Plain Region

Ecoregion that extends from south of Newton, Texas, to the mouth of the Sabine River in the Sabine Basin.

WQMP

Sabine River Authority Environmental Services Division Water Quality Monitoring Program