To: Interested Parties
From: Water Resources Branch
RE: August 2007 monthly Water Quality Report
This is the
Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for August 2007. Water quality sampling was performed August
13th through August 15th. Recent weather
(previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin was hot, with daytime highs in
the low 90s to low 100s at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime
highs from the low 90s to the low 100s.
Lows ranged from the low 70s to upper 70s at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake
Fork. Toledo Bend and Orange had lows
ranging from the low 70s to upper 70s.
During the 28 days prior to the sample run, the Upper Basin received
1.33 and 2.19 inches of rainfall as recorded at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake Fork,
respectively. Lake Tawakoni and Lake
Fork received 0.0 inches of rain the week preceding the sample run. Toledo Bend and Orange received 2.57 and 6.92
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 August sample run. The level of Lake Fork was recorded at 403.54
feet msl with 19 cfs releases, and the level of Lake Tawakoni was recorded at
437.41 feet msl with 7 cfs releases at the time of sampling. Station LT23D exceeded the stream standards
numeric criteria for temperature.
Stations LT23A, LT23C, LT23D, LF2, LF3, and LF4 exceeded the stream
standards numeric criteria for pH.
Elevated pH values in conjunction with higher surface temperatures and
increased dissolved oxygen levels often indicate algal bloom conditions. All reservoir and stream sites were within
the numeric criteria for the stream standards for E. coli.
The August monthly sampling results were indicative of water
of high quality at most sites. The area
received no rainfall during the week prior and during the sampling week. The level of Toledo Bend Reservoir was
recorded at 171.77 feet with 204 cfs discharge at the time of sampling. Toledo Bend Reservoir stations were stratified
in vertical profile samples. Stations
TB6K and TB6Q had pH values above the standards criteria.
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 no rainfall in
the seven days prior to the sample event.
Surface salinities were found at only two of the Tidal stations. The largest salinity value, 13.0 ppt, was
found at station SRT1 at 10.3 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 Wednesday, February 06, 2008 at 08:45