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A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | V | W Acre-foot: volume of water that would cover one acre of land to a depth of one foot; equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons. Alkalinity: measurement of the water's ability to neutralize acids. High alkalinity usually indicates the presence of carbonate, bicarbonates, or hydroxides. Waters that have high alkalinity values are often considered undesirable because of excessive hardness and high concentrations of sodium salts. Waters with low alkalinity have little capacity to buffer acidic inputs and are susceptible to acidification (low pH). Alluvial aquifer: aquifer with porous media consisting of loose, unconsolidated sediments deposited by fluvial (river) or aeolian (wind) processes, typical of river beds, floodplains, dunes, and terraces. Alluvial groundwater: water found in an alluvial aquifer. Alluvium: sediments of clay, silt, gravel, or other unconsolidated material deposited over time by a flowing stream on its floodplain or delta; frequently associated with higher-lying terrace deposits of groundwater. Appendix B areas: waters of the state into which discharges may be limited and that are located within the boundaries of areas listed in Appendix B of OWRB rules Chapter 45 on Oklahoma's Water Quality Standards (OWQS); including but not limited to National and State parks, forests, wilderness areas, wildlife management areas, and wildlife refuges. Appendix B may include areas inhabited by federally listed threatened or endangered species and other appropriate areas. Appropriative right: right acquired under the procedure provided by law to take a specific quantity of water by direct diversion from a stream, an impoundment thereon, or a playa lake, and to apply such water to a specific beneficial use or uses. Aquifer: geologic unit or formation that contains sufficient saturated, permeable material to yield economically significant quantities of water to wells and springs. Artificial recharge: any man-made process specifically designed for the primary purpose of increasing the amount of water entering into an aquifer. Attainable uses: best uses achievable for a particular waterbody given water of adequate quality. Background: ambient condition upstream or upgradient from a facility, practice, or activity that has not been affected by that facility, practice or activity. Basin: see Surface water basin. Basin outlet: the furthest downstream geographic point in an OCWP planning basin. Bedrock aquifer: aquifer with porous media consisting of lithified (semi-consolidated or consolidated) sediments, such as limestone, sandstone, siltstone, or fractured crystalline rock. Bedrock groundwater: water found in a bedrock aquifer. Beneficial use: (1) The use of stream or groundwater when reasonable intelligence and diligence are exercised in its application for a lawful purpose and as is economically necessary for that purpose. Beneficial uses include but are not limited to municipal, industrial, agricultural, irrigation, recreation, fish and wildlife, etc., as defined in OWRB rules Chapter 20 on stream water use and Chapter 30 on groundwater use. (2) A classification in OWQS of the waters of the State, according to their best uses in the interest of the public set forth in OWRB rules Chapter 45 on OWQS. Board: Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Chlorophyll-a: primary photosynthetic plant pigment used in water quality analysis as a measure of algae growth. Conductivity: a measure of the ability of water to pass electrical current. High specific conductance indicates high concentrations of dissolved solids. Conjunctive management: water management approach that takes into account the interactions between groundwaters and surface waters and how those interactions may affect water availability. Conservation: protection from loss and waste. Conservation of water may mean to save or store water for later use or to use water more efficiently. Conservation pool: reservoir storage of water for the project's authorized purpose other than flood control. Consumptive use: a use of water that diverts it from a water supply. Cultural eutrophication: condition occurring in lakes and streams whereby normal processes of eutrophication are accelerated by human activities. CWSRF: see State Revolving Fund (SRF). Dam: any artificial barrier, together with appurtenant works, which does or may impound or divert water. Degradation: any condition caused by the activities of humans resulting in the prolonged impairment of any constituent of an aquatic environment. Demand: amount of water required to meet the needs of people, communities, industry, agriculture, and other users. Demand forecast: estimate of expected water demands for a given planning horizon. Demand management: adjusting use of water through temporary or permanent conservation measures to meet the water needs of a basin or region. Demand sectors: distinct consumptive users of the state's waters. For OCWP analysis, seven demand sectors were identified: thermoelectric power, self-supplied residential, self-supplied industrial, oil and gas, municipal and industrial, livestock, and crop irrigation. Dependable yield: the maximum amount of water a reservoir can dependably supply from storage during a drought of record. Depletion: a condition that occurs when the amount of existing and future demand for groundwater exceeds available recharge. Dissolved oxygen: amount of oxygen gas dissolved in a given volume of water at a particular temperature and pressure, often expressed as a concentration in parts of oxygen per million parts of water. Low levels of dissolved oxygen facilitate the release of nutrients from sediments. Diversion: to take water from a stream or waterbody into a pipe, canal, or other conduit, either by pumping or gravity flow. Domestic use: in relation to OWRB permitting, the use of water by a natural individual or by a family or household for household purposes, for farm and domestic animals up to the normal grazing capacity of the land whether or not the animals are actually owned by such natural individual or family, and for the irrigation of land not exceeding a total of three acres in area for the growing of gardens, orchards, and lawns. Domestic use also includes: (1) the use of water for agriculture purposes by natural individuals, (2) use of water for fire protection, and (3) use of water by non-household entities for drinking water purposes, restroom use, and the watering of lawns, provided that the amount of water used for any such purposes does not exceed five acre-feet per year. Drainage area: total area above the discharge point drained by a receiving stream. Drought management: short-term measures to conserve water to sustain a basin's or region's needs during times of below normal rainfall. DWSRF: see State Revolving Fund (SRF). Ecoregion (ecological region): an ecologically and geographically defined area; sometimes referred to as a bioregion. Effluent: any fluid emitted by a source to a stream, reservoir, or basin, including a partially or completely treated waste fluid that is produced by and flows out of an industrial or wastewater treatment plant or sewer. Elevation: elevation in feet in relation to mean sea level (MSL). Equal proportionate share (EPS): portion of the maximum annual yield of water from a groundwater basin that is allocated to each acre of land overlying the basin or subbasin. Eutrophic: a water quality characterization, or "trophic status," that indicates abundant nutrients and high rates of productivity in a lake, frequently resulting in oxygen depletion below the surface. Eutrophication: the process whereby the condition of a waterbody changes from one of low biologic productivity and clear water to one of high productivity and water made turbid by the accelerated growth of algae. Flood control pool: reservoir storage of excess runoff above the conservation pool storage capacity that is discharged at a regulated rate to reduce potential downstream flood damage. Floodplain: the land adjacent to a body of water which has been or may be covered by flooding, including, but not limited to, the one-hundred year flood (the flood expected to be equaled or exceeded every 100 years on average). Fresh water: water that has less than five thousand (5,000) parts per million total dissolved solids. Gap: an anticipated shortage in supply of surface water due to a deficiency of physical water supply or the inability or failure to obtain necessary water rights. Groundwater: fresh water under the surface of the earth regardless of the geologic structure in which it is standing or moving outside the cut bank of a definite stream. Groundwater basin: a distinct underground body of water overlain by contiguous land having substantially the same geological and hydrological characteristics and yield capabilities. The area boundaries of a major or minor basin can be determined by political boundaries, geological, hydrological, or other reasonable physical boundaries. Groundwater recharge: see Recharge. Hardness: a measure of the mineral content of water. Water containing high concentrations (usually greater than 60 ppm) of iron, calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen ions is usually considered "hard water." High Quality Waters (HQW): a designation in the OWQS referring to waters that exhibit water quality exceeding levels necessary to support the propagation of fishes, shellfishes, wildlife, and recreation in and on the water. This designation prohibits any new point source discharge or additional load or increased concentration of specified pollutants. Hydraulic conductivity: the capacity of rock to transmit groundwater under pressure. Hydrologic unit code: a numerical designation utilized by the United States Geologic Survey and other federal and state agencies as a way of identifying all drainage basins in the U.S. in a nested arrangement from largest to smallest, consisting of a multi-digit code that identifies each of the levels of classification within two-digit fields. Hypereutrophic: a surface water quality characterization, or "trophic status," that indicates excessive primary productivity and excessive nutrient levels in a lake. Impaired water: waterbody in which the quality fails to meet the standards prescribed for its beneficial uses. Impoundment: body of water, such as a pond or lake, confined by a dam, dike, floodgate, or other barrier established to collect and store water. Infiltration: the gradual downward flow of water from the surface of the earth into the subsurface. Instream flow: a quantity of water to be set aside in a stream or river to ensure downstream environmental, social, and economic benefits are met (further defined in the OCWP Instream Flow Issues & Recommendations report). Interbasin transfer: the physical conveyance of water from one basin to another. Levee: a man-made structure, usually an earthen embankment, designed and constructed to contain, control, or divert the flow of water so as to provide protection from temporary flooding. Major groundwater basin: a distinct underground body of water overlain by contiguous land and having essentially the same geological and hydrological characteristics and from which groundwater wells yield at least fifty (50) gallons per minute on the average basinwide if from a bedrock aquifer, and at least one hundred fifty (150) gallons per minute on the average basinwide if from an alluvium and terrace aquifer, or as otherwise designated by the OWRB. Marginal quality water: waters that have been historically unusable due to technological or economic issues associated with diversion, treatment, or conveyance. Maximum annual yield (MAY): determination by the OWRB of the total amount of fresh groundwater that can be produced from each basin or subbasin allowing a minimum twenty-year life of such basin or subbasin. Mesotrophic: a surface water quality characterization, or "trophic status," describing those lakes with moderate primary productivity and moderate nutrient levels. Million gallons per day (mgd): a rate of flow equal to 1.54723 cubic feet per second or 3.0689 acre-feet per day. Minor groundwater basin: a distinct underground body of water overlain by contiguous land and having substantially the same geological and hydrological characteristics and which is not a major groundwater basin. Nitrogen limited: in reference to water chemistry, where growth or amount of primary producers (e.g., algae) is restricted in a waterbody due in large part to available nitrogen. Non-consumptive use: use of water in a manner that does not reduce the amount of supply, such as navigation, hydropower production, protection of habitat for hunting, maintaining water levels for boating recreation, or maintaining flow, level and/or temperature for fishing, swimming, habitat, etc. Nonpoint source (NPS): a source of pollution without a well-defined point of origin. Nonpoint source pollution is commonly caused by sediment, nutrients, and organic or toxic substances originating from land use activities. It occurs when the rate of material entering a waterbody exceeds its natural level. Normal pool elevation: the target lake elevation at which a reservoir was designed to impound water to create a dependable water supply; sometimes referred to as the top of the conservation pool. Normal pool storage: volume of water held in a reservoir when it is at normal pool elevation. Numerical criteria: concentrations or other quantitative measures of chemical, physical or biological parameters that are assigned to protect the beneficial use of a waterbody. Numerical standard: the most stringent of the OWQS numerical criteria assigned to the beneficial uses for a given stream. Nutrient-impaired reservoir: reservoir with a beneficial use or uses impaired by human-induced eutrophication as determined by a Nutrient-Limited Watershed Impairment Study. Nutrient-Limited Watershed (NLW): watershed of a waterbody with a designated beneficial use that is adversely affected by excess nutrients as determined by a Carlson's Trophic State Index (using chlorophyll-a) of 62 or greater, or is otherwise listed as "NLW" in Appendix A of the OWQS. Nutrients: elements or compounds essential as raw materials for an organism's growth and development; these include carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Oklahoma Water Quality Standards (OWQS): rules promulgated by the OWRB in Oklahoma Administrative Code Title 785, Chapter 45, which establish classifications of uses of waters of the state, criteria to maintain and protect such classifications, and other standards or policies pertaining to the quality of such waters. Oligotrophic: a surface water quality characterization, or "trophic status," describing those lakes with low primary productivity and/or low nutrient levels. Outfall: a point source that contains the effluent being discharged to the receiving water. Percolation: the movement of water through unsaturated subsurface soil layers, usually continuing downward to the groundwater or water table (distinguished from Seepage). Permit availability: the amount of water that could be made available for withdrawals under permits issued in accordance with Oklahoma water law. pH: the measurement of the hydrogen-ion concentration in water. A pH below 7 is acidic (the lower the number, the more acidic the water, with a decrease of one full unit representing an increase in acidity of ten times) and a pH above 7 (to a maximum of 14) is basic (the higher the number, the more basic the water). In Oklahoma, fresh waters typically exhibit a pH range from 5.5 in the southeast to almost 9.0 in central areas. Phosphorus limited: in reference to water chemistry, where growth or amount of primary producers (e.g., algae) is restricted in a waterbody due in large part to the amount of available phosphorus. Physical water availability: amount of water currently in streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and aquifers; sometimes referred to as "wet water." Point source: any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock or concentrated animal feeding operation from which pollutants are or may be discharged. This term does not include return flows from irrigation agriculture. Potable: describing water suitable for drinking. Primary Body Contact Recreation (PBCR): a classification in OWQS of a waterbody's use; involves direct body contact with the water where a possibility of ingestion exists. In these cases, the water shall not contain chemical, physical or biological substances in concentrations that irritate the skin or sense organs or are toxic or cause illness upon ingestion by human beings. Primary productivity: the production of chemical energy in organic compounds by living organisms. In lakes and streams, this is essentially the lowest denominator of the food chain (phytoplankton) bringing energy into the system via photosynthesis. Prior groundwater right: comparable to a permit, a right to use groundwater recognized by the OWRB as having been established by compliance with state groundwater laws in effect prior to 1973. Provider: private or public entity that supplies water to end users or other providers. For OCWP analyses, "public water providers" included approximately 785 non-profit, local governmental municipal or community water systems and rural water districts. Recharge: the inflow of water to an alluvial or bedrock aquifer. Reservoir: a surface depression containing water impounded by a dam. Return water or return flow: the portion of water diverted from a water supply that returns to a watercourse. Reverse osmosis: a process that removes salts and other substances from water. Pressure is placed on the stronger of two unequal concentrations separated by a semi-permeable membrane; a common method of desalination. Riparian water right (riparian right): the right of an owner of land adjoining a stream or watercourse to use water from that stream for reasonable purposes. Riverine: relating to, formed by, or resembling a river (including tributaries), stream, etc. Salinity: the concentration of salt in water measured in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts per million (ppm). Salt water: any water containing more than five thousand (5,000) parts per million total dissolved solids. Saturated thickness: thickness below the zone of the water table in which the interstices are filled with groundwater. Scenic Rivers: streams in "Scenic River" areas designated by the Oklahoma Legislature that possess unique natural scenic beauty, water conservation, fish, wildlife and outdoor recreational values. These areas are listed and described in Title 82 of Oklahoma Statutes, Section 1451. Sediment: particles transported and deposited by water deriving from rocks, soil, or biological material. Seepage: the movement of water through saturated material often indicated by the appearance or disappearance of water at the ground surface, as in the loss of water from a reservoir through an earthen dam (distinguished from Percolation). Sensitive sole source groundwater basin or subbasin: a major groundwater basin or subbasin all or a portion of which has been designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a "Sole Source Aquifer" and serves as a mechanism to protect drinking water supplies in areas with limited water supply alternatives. It includes any portion of a contiguous aquifer located within five miles of the known areal extent of the surface outcrop of the designated groundwater basin or subbasin. Sensitive Water Supplies (SWS): designation that applies to public and private water supplies possessing conditions that make them more susceptible to pollution events. This designation restricts point source discharges in the watershed and institutes a 10 μg/L (micrograms per liter) chlorophyll-a criterion to protect against taste and odor problems and reduce water treatment costs. Soft water: water that contains little to no magnesium or calcium salts. State Revolving Fund (SRF): fund or program used to provide loans to eligible entities for qualified projects in accordance with Federal law, rules and guidelines administered by the EPA and state. Two separate SRF programs are administered in Oklahoma: the Clean Water SRF is intended to control water pollution and is administered by OWRB; the Drinking Water SRF was created to provide safe drinking water and is administered jointly by the OWRB and ODEQ. Storm sewer: a sewer specifically designed to control and convey stormwater, surface runoff, and related drainage. Stream system: drainage area of a watercourse or series of watercourses that converges in a large watercourse with defined boundaries. Stream water: water in a definite stream that includes water in ponds, lakes, reservoirs, and playa lakes. Streamflow: the rate of water discharged from a source indicated in volume with respect to time. Surface water: water in streams and waterbodies as well as diffused over the land surface. Surface water basin: geographic area drained by a single stream system. For OCWP analysis, Oklahoma has been divided into 82 surface water basins (also referenced as "planning basins"). Temporary permit: for groundwater basins or subbasins for which a maximum annual yield has not been determined, temporary permits are granted to users allocating two acre-feet of water per acre of land per year. Temporary permits are for one-year terms that can be revalidated annually by the permittee. When the maximum annual yield and equal proportionate share are approved by the OWRB, all temporary permits overlying the studied basin are converted to regular permits at the new approved allocation amount. Terrace deposits: fluvial or wind-blown deposits occurring along the margin and above the level of a body of water and representing the former floodplain of a stream or river. Total dissolved solids (TDS): a measure of the amount of dissolved material in the water column, reported in mg/L, with values in fresh water naturally ranging from 0-1000 mg/L. High concentrations of TDS limit the suitability of water as a drinking and livestock watering source as well as irrigation supply. Total maximum daily load (TMDL): sum of individual wasteload allocations for point sources, safety reserves, and loads from nonpoint source and natural backgrounds. Total nitrogen: for water quality analysis, a measure of all forms of nitrogen (organic and inorganic). Excess nitrogen can lead to harmful algae blooms, hypoxia, and declines in wildlife and habitat. Total phosphorus: for water quality analysis, a measure of all forms of phosphorus, often used as an indicator of eutrophication and excessive productivity. Transmissivity: measure of how much water can be transmitted horizontally through an aquifer. Transmissivity is the product of hydraulic conductivity of the rock and saturated thickness of the aquifer. Tributary: stream or other body of water, surface or underground, that contributes to another larger stream or body of water. Trophic State Index (TSI): one of the most commonly used measurements to compare lake trophic status, based on algal biomass. Carlson's TSI uses chlorophyll-a concentrations to define the level of eutrophication on a scale of 1 to 100, thus indicating the general biological condition of the waterbody. Trophic status: a lake's trophic state, essentially a measure of its biological productivity. The various trophic status levels (Oligotrophic, Mesotrophic, Eutrophic, and Hypereutrophic) provide a relative measure of overall water quality conditions in a lake. Turbidity: a combination of suspended and colloidal materials (e.g., silt, clay, or plankton) that reduce the transmission of light through scattering or absorption. Turbidity values are generally reported in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTUs). Vested stream water right (vested right): comparable to a permit, a right to use stream water recognized by the OWRB as having been established by compliance with state stream water laws in effect prior to 1963. Waste by depletion: unauthorized use of wells or groundwater; drilling a well, taking, or using fresh groundwater without a permit, except for domestic use; taking more fresh groundwater than is authorized by permit; taking or using fresh groundwater so that the water is lost for beneficial use; transporting fresh groundwater from a well to the place of use in such a manner that there is an excessive loss in transit; allowing fresh groundwater to reach a pervious stratum and be lost into cavernous or otherwise pervious materials encountered in a well; drilling wells and producing fresh groundwater there from except in accordance with well spacing requirements; or using fresh groundwater for air conditioning or cooling purposes without providing facilities to aerate and reuse such water. Waste by pollution: permitting or causing the pollution of a fresh water strata or basin through any act that will permit fresh groundwater polluted by minerals or other waste to filter or intrude into a basin or subbasin, or failure to properly plug abandoned fresh water wells. Water quality: physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of water that determine diversity, stability, and productivity of the climax biotic community or affect human health. Water right: right to the use of stream or groundwater for beneficial use reflected by permits or vested rights for stream water or permits or prior rights for groundwater. Wastewater reuse: treated municipal and industrial wastewater captured and reused commonly for non-potable irrigation and industrial applications to reduce demand upon potable water systems. Water supply: a body of water, whether static or moving on or under the surface of the ground, or in a man-made reservoir, available for beneficial use on a dependable basis. Water supply availability: for OCWP analysis, the consideration of whether or not water is available that meets three necessary requirements: physical water is present, the water is of a usable quality, and a water right or permit to use the water has been or can be obtained. Water supply options: alternatives that a basin or region may implement to meet changing water demands. For OCWP analysis, "primary options" include demand management, use of out-of-basin supplies, reservoir use, increasing reliance on surface water, and increasing reliance on groundwater; "expanded options" include expanding conservation measures, artificial aquifer recharge, use of marginal quality water sources, and potential reservoir development. Water table: The upper surface of a zone of saturation; the upper surface of the groundwater. Waterbody: any specified segment or body of waters of the state, including but not limited to an entire stream or lake or a portion thereof. Watercourse: the channel or area that conveys a flow of water. Waters of the state: all streams, lakes, ponds, marshes, watercourses, waterways, wells, springs, irrigation systems, drainage systems, and other bodies or accumulations of water, surface and underground, natural or artificial, public or private, which are contained within, flow through, or border upon the state. Watershed: the boundaries of a drainage area of a watercourse or series of watercourses that diverge above a designated location or diversion point determined by the OWRB. Well: any type of excavation for the purpose of obtaining groundwater or to monitor or observe conditions under the surface of the earth; does not include oil and gas wells. Well yield: amount of water that a water supply well can produce (usually in gpm), which generally depends on the geologic formation and well construction. Wholesale: for purposes of OCWP Public Water Provider analyses, water sold from one public water provider to another. Withdrawal: water removed from a supply source. |
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