To: Interested Parties
From: Water Resources Branch
RE: July 2007 monthly Water Quality Report
This is the
Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for July 2007. Water quality sampling was performed July 9th
through July 11th. Recent weather
(previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin was warm, with daytime highs in
the mid 70s to mid 90s at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime
highs from the low 80s to the low 90s.
Lows ranged from the high 60s to mid 70s at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake
Fork. Toledo Bend and Orange had lows
ranging from the low 70s to the low 90s.
During the 28 days prior to the sample run, the Upper Basin received
10.99 and 7.21 inches of rainfall as recorded at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake
Fork, respectively. Lake Tawakoni
received 6.12 inches of rain and Lake Fork received 3.7 inches of rain the week
preceding the sample run. Toledo Bend
and Orange received 6.92 and 13.09 inches of precipitation during the 28 days
prior to the sample run. Reservoir
profiles indicated thermal stratification of the water column at deeper
reservoir sites in Lake Tawakoni, Lake Fork and Toledo Bend reservoirs.
Upper Sabine Basin above Toledo
Bend Including Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni
Water
quality parameter measurements at the Upper Basin sites were consistent with
water of high quality at all sites for the July sample run. The level of Lake Fork was recorded at 403.58
feet msl with 22 cfs releases, and the level of Lake Tawakoni was recorded at
439.55 feet msl with 5,306 cfs releases at the time of sampling. Heavy rains following an extended drought
preceded the July sample run. Total
organic carbon and dissolved oxygen levels reflected elevated natural organic debris
contributions from the watershed. Stations
SR17, SR16 and SR15 fell below the stream standards numeric criteria for
dissolved oxygen. All reservoir and
stream sites were within the numeric criteria for the stream standards for E.
coli.
The July monthly sampling results were indicative of water of
high quality at most sites. The area
received 3.0 inches of rainfall during the week prior and during the sampling
week. The level of Toledo Bend Reservoir
was recorded at 172.08 feet with 204 cfs discharge at the time of
sampling. Toledo Bend Reservoir stations
were stratified in vertical profile samples.
Station TB6K exceeded the stream standards numeric criteria for pH, and
station TB8 fell below the standards criteria for dissolved oxygen.
Tidal
Section of the
Most sites sampled in the Tidal portion of the Sabine Basin
had values that are consistent with water of high quality. The Tidal stations received 4.70 inches of
rainfall in the seven days prior to the sample event. Surface salinities were found at only one of
the Tidal stations. The largest salinity
value, 3.0 ppt, was found at station BB1 at 4.7 meters. All parameters measured were within the
stream standards numeric criteria.
This Report and additional data
for these monitoring stations are available on our World Wide Web site (www.sratx.org). 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@sratx.org)
Ø Lower and Tidal Sabine Basin
Jerry Wiegreffe, Lower Basin Field Office Coordinator
409-746-3284 (jwiegreffe@sratx.org)
Ø If
above are unavailable
John Payne, Special Projects Administrator
409-746-2192 (jpayne@sratx.org)
or
Miles Hall, Environmental Services Division Manager
409-746-3284 (mhall@sratx.org)
Printed Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 10:21