Anoxia |
The term means “without oxygen” - water void of oxygen. An
anoxic event occurs when an area of water becomes completely
depleted of oxygen below the surface. |
Best management practice |
A
method used to prevent or reduce the pollution resulting
from some activity. The term originated from rules and
regulation in Section 208 of the Clean Water Act. |
Civic responsibility |
The responsibility of a citizen reflected in the actions and
attitudes associated with democratic governance and social
participation. Civic responsibility can include
participation in government, church, and voluntary
associations. Actions of civic responsibility can be
displayed in advocacy for various causes, such as political,
economic, civil, environmental or quality of life issues.
|
Concentration |
The amount of a substance found in a certain volume of water
- usually expressed as milligrams per liter (mg/L) or parts
per million (ppm). |
Consensus |
General agreement among the members of a given group or
community. |
Cover Crop |
Grass planted to keep rain from washing soil, nutrients and
other pollution into streams, often used on farms and
construction sites where top soil is exposed. |
Dissolved oxygen |
The amount of oxygen that is present in the water. It is
measured in units of milligrams per liter (mg/L), or the
milligrams of oxygen dissolved in a liter of water. |
Ecosystem |
Community of organisms living in a particular environment
and the physical elements in that environment with which
they interact. An ecosystem can be as small as a field or as
large as the ocean, depending on the scale of examination. |
Hydrology |
Hydrology is the study of water; its movement on and under
the ground and in the atmosphere, its distribution on the
Earth, and its quality. . |
Hydrologic Cycle |
Also known as "Water Cycle." Describes the
continuous movement of water on and under the ground and in
the atmosphere. Nice illustration
here. |
Impervious Surface |
A
surface that water cannot penetrate. Impervious surfaces
include natural surfaces like solid rock, and man-made
surfaces such as parking lots, buildings, and roads. |
Load |
The total amount of a substance that passes by some point in
a certain amount of time - as in pounds per hour or tons per
day. It is equal to the concentration times the total volume
of water |
Non point source |
A
pollution source that washed from the surface of the land.
A source of pollution that does not come from a pipe or
defined point. A pollution source not regulated by
government agencies. |
Nutrient |
A
chemical that plants and animals require for growth |
Point source |
A
pollution source from a pipe or defined location regulated
by government agencies. |
Riparian Buffer |
Areas along rivers and streams planted with tall grass
and/or trees to help filter nutrients, sediments, and other
pollutants from runoff as well as remove pollutants from
groundwater. |
Scientific Model |
Mathematical tools used to understand large scale processes
that can't be observed directly in their entirety. The
Chesapeake Bay Program uses mathematical models to simulate
changes in the Bay ecosystem due to changes in population,
land use, or pollution management. |
Sediment |
Sediment is the product of erosion that washes soil
particles into streams, rivers, and other bodies of water.
Poor land management practices, such as failing to stabilize
construction sites, can greatly accelerate erosion. |
Stakeholder |
A
stakeholder is a person or a group with a legitimate
interest in a project, organization, or government action.
|
Stewardship |
The way someone controls or manages something. A good
steward protects from harm. |
Stream Flow |
The water discharge in a stream or river channel. |
Tributary |
A tributary is a stream or river that flows into a larger
river. Tributaries do not flow directly into
estuaries, bays, or oceans. |
Tributary Strategy |
River-specific cleanup plans in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed. Tributary Strategies detail the "on-the-ground"
actions needed to reduce the amount of nutrients and
sediment flowing into the Chesapeake Bay. They are a
framework that evolves over time to chart the most efficient
and effective course to a clean Chesapeake Bay. |
Watershed |
The area of land that drains to a stream, river, or body of
water.
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