This is the Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for
January 2005. Water quality sampling was
performed January 10th through January 13th. Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin
was cool, with daytime highs from the low 30s to the low 70s at Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork.
Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange
had daytime highs from the low 40s to the upper 70s. Lows ranged from the mid 20s to the mid 60s
at Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork.
Toledo Bend and Orange
had lows ranging from the upper 30s to the mid 60s. The waters of Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
were mixed, exhibiting no thermal stratification. During the 28 days prior to the sample run,
the Upper Basin
received 2.76 and 2.85 inches of rainfall as recorded at Lake
Tawakoni and at Lake Fork,
respectively. Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
received 1.07 and 1.31 inches of rainfall the week preceding the sample
run. Toledo Bend and Orange received 2.42 and 1.87 inches,
respectively, during the 28 days prior to the sample run.
Upper Sabine Basin
Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork
and Lake Tawakoni
Most water quality parameter measurements at Upper Basin
sites were consistent with water of high quality. The level of Lake
Fork was recorded at 402.89 feet msl
with 2,073 cfs releases and the level of Lake Tawakoni
was recorded at 438.00 feet msl with 506 cfs releases at the time of sampling. Stations
LT23A, LT23D, LT23C, SR22 and SR19 exceeded recommended screening criteria for
chlorophyll a, station LT23D exceeded
the recommended screening criteria for orthophosphate, and stations LF20, BS9,
SR21, SR19, SR17, SR16, SR15, SR14 and SR10 exceeded Stream Standards numeric
criteria for E. coli. The sites that exceeded numeric criteria for E. coli also exhibited higher than
normal turbidities and low secchi depths due to suspended sediment from
rainfall runoff. An increase in E. coli numbers is usually accompanied
by higher turbidity values and low secchi depths.
Lower Sabine Basin
Including Toledo
Bend to Morgan Bluff
The January monthly sampling results were indicative of water
of high quality at most sites. The area
received 0.38 inches of rain during the seven days prior to sampling. The level of Toledo Bend Reservoir was
recorded at 168.87 feet msl with 7,744 cfs discharge at the time of sampling. Most
reservoir stations were well mixed with similar readings throughout the water
column. All parameters measured were
within Stream Standards criteria.
Tidal Section of
the Sabine Basin below Morgan Bluff
Most sites sampled in the tidal portion of the Sabine Basin
had values consistent with water of high quality. The tidal stations received only trace amounts
of rainfall during the seven days prior to the sample run, but 0.5 inch was
recorded during the actual sampling day.
Most sites in this section of the Basin were well mixed with only slight
stratification, and no anoxic conditions were found at any tidal station. A surface salinity of 2 ppt was found at
Stations BB1 and SRT1. The greatest
salinity measured was 4 ppt, found at station SRT1 at a depth of 10.6 meters. Station BB1 displayed bacteriological results
that were above Stream Standards criteria.
This Report and additional data
for these monitoring stations are available on our World Wide Web site (www.sra.dst.tx.us).
If you have any questions or comments concerning this report, please contact:
Ø
Upper Sabine Basin
Terry Wilson, Upper Basin Field Office Coordinator
903-878-2420 (twilson@sra.dst.tx.us)
Ø
Lower and Tidal Sabine
Basin
Jerry Wiegreffe, Lower Basin Field Office Coordinator
409-746-3284 (jwiegreffe@sra.dst.tx.us)
Ø
If above are unavailable
John Payne, Special Projects Administrator
409-746-2192 (jpayne@sra.dst.tx.us)
or
Miles Hall, Resource Management/ Project Development
Division Manager
409-746-2192 (mhall@sra.dst.tx.us)