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abatement Reducing the degree or intensity of, or eliminating, pollution. abdominal pelvics Pelvic fins located on the abdomen far behind the pectoral fins; pelvic bones do not attach to pectoral girdle. abiota Those non-living factors which are present in and affect the characteristics of a given ecosystem. accessory pelvic appendage A tapered fleshy lobe above the base of the pelvic fin. acclimate The adaptation of an organism to environmental changes. acclimation pond Concrete or earthen pond or a temporary structure used for rearing and imprinting juvenile fish in the water of a particular stream before their release into that stream. acid rain Rainfall with a pH of less than 7.0. Long-term deposition of these acids is linked to adverse effects on aquatic organisms and plant life in areas with poor neutralizing (buffering) capacity. acidic With a pH value less than 7. acidity See pH. acre A measure of area equal to 43,560 square feet (4,046.87 square meters). One square mile equals 640 acres. acre-foot (af) The volume of water that will cover one acre to a depth of 1 foot.   activated carbon This is carbon, looking like crumbled charcoal. It can absorb many compounds out of the water, and is especially good at removing yellowing compounds to keep the water clear. Carbon must be changed regularly, as after it has been used for a while, it may leach impurities back into the water. adaptation Changes in an organism's structure or habits that allow it to adjust to its surroundings. adfluvial Possessing a life history trait of migrating between lakes or rivers and streams. adipose fin A small fleshy fin with no rays, located between the dorsal and caudal fins. aeration Any active or passive process by which intimate contact between air and liquid is assured, generally by spraying liquid in the air, bubbling air through water, or mechanical agitation of the liquid to promote surface absorption of air. aeration tank A chamber used to inject air into water. aerobic Characterizing organisms able to live only in the presence of air or free oxygen, and conditions that exist only in the presence of air or free oxygen. (opposite of anaerobic) air pump A pump that promotes pond aeration by causing water surface agitation. Diaphragm pumps are the most common type.   affluent A stream or river that flows into a larger one; a Tributary. aggradation The process wherein a stream deposits its excess load to its channel. aggregate A loose mixture of crushed stone and sand used to reinforce cement. aggressive C02 Gas in excess of the CO2 needed to dissolve CaCO3; gaseous CO2 in excess of the equilibrium level needed to dissolve CaCO3 to Ca(HCO) 3. AHOD The areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit, usually expressed as a rate per day; refers to the decrease in 02 beneath unit area of hypolimnion surface; mg O2/cm2 per day or mg O2/m2 per day. algae Microscopic organisms that share many characteristics with plants, although they lack true stems, roots, and do not flower. Common algae forms in ponds include planktonic algae (green water algae) and filamentous algae (string algae.) algaecide A product that assists in controlling the growth of algae. alkaline With a pH value greater than 7. alkaline phosphatase An enzyme that hydrolizes organic phosphorus compounds, making some P available as soluble inorganic phosphate alkalinity The buffering system or titratable base in water; the milliequivalents of hydrogen ions neutralized by a liter of water; often expressed as CaCO3 in mg/liter. Erroneously and often confused as meaning high pH. allochthony Refers to something being formed elsewhere and transported to the site in question allochthonous, adj. allotrophy Pertains to the main source of chemical energy in an ecosystem coming from outside. alluvial Deposited by running water. alluvium Sediment or loose material such as clay, silt, sand, gravel, and larger rocks deposited by moving water. amixis The absence of circulation periods, as in permanently frozen lakes. ammonia (NH3) One of the beginning steps in the nitrogen cycle. It is toxic to most aquatic organisms, and levels should un-measurable after your pond has cycled.   ammonification Production of ammonia (NH3) from oprganic nitrogenous compounds by decay of dead material and metabolism in living organisms. amphibian A member of the class Amphibia or any other animal capable of living both on land and in water. amphibious Able to live on both land and water. anabranch A diverging branch of a river which re-enters the main stream. anadromous Fish that hatch rear in fresh water, migrate to the ocean (salt water) to grow and mature, and migrate back to fresh water to spawn and reproduce. anaerobic An environment that is low in available free oxygen which promotes the growth of bacteria that thrive in such conditions. anal fin The fin located on the ventral median line and behind the anus. anemotrophy Pertains to situations in which most of the chemical energy in a system arrives by wind. annual A plant that flowers, sets seed, and dies within one growing season. annulus A mark or ring that forms annually on the otoliths, scales, and other bones of fish, that correspond to the annual period of slow growth that fish go through. Annuli are used by fish managers to determine age and growth of fish. anthropogenic Having its origin in the activities of man. aquaculture The controlled cultivation and harvest of aquatic plants or animals (e.g., edible marine algae, clams, oysters, and salmon). aquaduct A pipe or conduit made for bringing water from a source. aquatic Growing or living in water. aquatic ecosystem Any body of water, such as a stream, lake or estuary, and all organisms and nonliving components within it, functioning as a natural system. aquatic habitat Habitat that occurs in free water. aquatic plant Any plant that can grow with its roots surrounded by water, either free-floating or in water saturated soil. aquifer An underground layer of rock or soil containing ground water. argillotrophy Refers to systems in which the main source of nutrition for the animals is in clayey particles and their attached organic matter. artificial production Spawning, incubating, hatching or rearing fish in a hatchery or other facility constructed for fish production. artificial propagation Any assistance provided by man in the reproduction of Pacific salmon. This assistance includes, but is not limited to, spawning and rearing in hatcheries, stock transfers, creation of spawning habitat, egg bank programs, captive broodstock programs, and cryopreservation of gametes. assimilation number The ratio of carbon fixed (or oxygen released) photosynthetically per hour or day to the chlorophyll a present. astatic Unstable; in limnology usually refers to water level. astrobleme Terrestrial configuration caused by meteoritic impact. atelomixis An imcomplete vertical mixing of stratified water masses, homogenizing layers of different chemical properties without disturbing the underlying hypolimnion; in stratified tropical lakes. athalassohaline Refers to water with ionic proportions quite different from the dissolved salts in seawater.   aufwuchs See periphyton   austausch coefficients Coefficients that quantify turbulent movements of various types in excess of the normal diffusion and conductivity caused solely by molecular action. autecology Ecologic study of single species; population ecology rather than community ecology. authigenic As defined for autochthonus. but less commonly used. autochthonous Formed in situ, or on the spot; authigenic.   autochthony The state of being or having been formed in situ   autotrophy Nutrition derived from the synthesis of high energy organic substances; photosynthesis; chemosynthesis; primary productivity in general;   autotrophic Pertaining to the ability to perform primary production
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bacteria Small microscopic organisms without chlorophyll that multiply by simple division, and often obtain nourishment from dead organisms. ballast The electrical supply for some lights, such as fluorescents and metal halide bulbs.   basicity See pH. bass A spiny-finned carnivorous fish that usually feeds on smaller, fish in lakes or streams, prized as a game fish. bathylimnion The deepest part of a stratified lake, removed from wind action and below the turbulent currents that characterize the clinolimnion.   bed load The part of a stream's load that is rolling and sliding along because it's too heavy to be carried by suspension. benthic Referring to bottom zones or bottom-dwelling forms benthos Bottom-dwelling biota; the benthic community. biogenic meromixis Meromixis (partial circulation) owed to the accumulation of substances of biologic origin in the monolimnion. biological filtration Filter units that house media for nitrogen-consuming bacteria to proliferate in. The bigger the biological filter, the more bacteria is available to perform the nitrogen cycle.   biomass The total quantity (at any given time) of living organisms of one or more species per unit of space (species biomass), or of all the species in a biotic community (community biomass). bittern The bromide-magnesium mixture that remains when seawater is nearly MgCl2. bluegill A small, freshwater fish that has a blue spot on the covering of its gills. Common in ponds and lakes. bog Freshwater wetlands that are poorly drained and characterized by a buildup of peat. boulder A large substrate particle that is larger that cobble, >256 mm in diameter. bound CO2 An older term for CO2; in the carbonate form, C03-- brackish Having a somewhat salty taste, especially from containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water. brackish water Generally, water containing dissolved minerals in amounts that exceed normally acceptable standards for municipal, domestic, and irrigation uses. Considerably less saline than sea water. Also, Marine and Estuarine waters with Mixohaline salinity (0.5 to 30 due to ocean salts). Water containing between 1,000-4,000 parts per million (PPM) Total Dissolved Solids TDS). The term brackish water is frequently interchangeable with Saline Water. The term should not be applied to inland waters. braided stream A stream with complex, anastamosing multiple channels rather than a single larger channel. braiding Successive division and rejoining of riverflow with accompanying islands. brood stock Adult fish used to propagate the subsequent generation of hatchery fish. brood year The year in which the eggs were spawned. brook A natural stream of water, smaller than a river or creek; especially a small stream or rivulet which breaks directly out of the ground, as from a spring or seep; also, a stream or torrent of similar size, produced by copious rainfall, melting snow and ice, etc.; a primary stream not formed by tributaries, though often fed below its source, as by rills or runlets; one of the smallest branches or ultimate ramifications of a drainage system. buccal Pertaining to the cheeks or the cavity of the mouth. buffer A substance that is dissolved in the water to boost the alkalinity and/or adjust the pH. They can be formulated to adjust the pH to a particular value, or to raise the alkalinity without changing the pH.   buffer strip A barrier of permanent vegetation, either forest or other vegetation, between waterways and land uses such as agriculture or urban development, designed to intercept and filter out pollution before it reaches the surface water resource. buoyancy The tendency of a body to float or rise when submerged in a fluid. bypass system A channel or conduit in a dam that provides a route for fish to move through or around the dam without going through the turbine units.
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canal A constructed open channel for transporting water. canister filter External filters used on ponds and aquariums with housings filled with various types of media.   canopy A layer of foliage in a forest stand. This most often refers to the uppermost layer of foliage, but it can be used to describe lower layers in a multistoried stand. Leavs, branches and vegetation that are above ground and/or water that provide shade and cover for fish and wildlife. canopy closure The degree to which the canopy (forest layers above one's head) blocks sunlight or obscures the sky. capacity The theoretical load that a stream can carry. For biomass, see carrying capacity. captive brood stock Fish raised and spawned in captivity. carbon dioxide A colorless, odorless gas that is produced by respiration in all living organisms and used by plants in photosynthesis. carnivore An animal that kills and eats other animals. carnivorous Feeding on animal tissues. carrying capacity The maximum number of organisms that a certain habitat can sustain over the long term. cascade A short, steep drop in stream bed elevation often marked by boulders and agitated white water. catadromous Refers to fishes that migrate from fresh water to salt water to spawn or reproduce. catch The act of landing a fish at which point the fisher has the option of releasing or retaining it. caudal Pertaining to the tail region of a fish. caudal fin The tail fin of a fish. caudal peduncle The tapering portion of a fish's body between the posterior edge of the anal fin base and the base of the caudal fin. channel An area that contains continuously or periodically flowing water that is confined by banks and a stream bed. channelization The process of changing and straightening the natural path of a waterway. chemical filtration Filters that use chemical processes to clean the water. chemocline A density gradient, or pycnocline, owed to changing salt concentrations. chemolithotrophy Autotrophy in which inorganic chemical bonds are the source of energy and inorganic substances serve as electron donors: chemosynthesis. chemosynthesis See chemolithotrophy. chiller A device which makes pond or aquarium water cooler.   chloramine A chemical that is sometimes used (depends on area) by municipal water supplies to kill bacteria and make water safe for human consumption. It is poisonous to fish, but can be removed with special dechlorinating compounds. Unlike chlorine, it will not evaporate from water by itself. chlorine This substance is commonly used to keep bacteria out of municipal water supplies. It is poisonous to fish, but can be removed with special dechlorinating compounds. Chlorine gas will dissipate into the air if given time and if water is agitated.   chlorophyll A green pigment in plant cells that is essential to the process of photosynthesis. clay Substrate particles that are smaller than silt and generally less than 0.004 mm in diameter. cline any sort of gradient or continuum clinograde referring to distribution that shows a gradient, often applied to temperature or oxygen clinolimnion that portion of a lake where turbulence prevails so that temperature distribution and diffusivity decrease exponentially from high points in the epilimnion to the bathylimnion. cobble Substrate particles that are smaller than boulders and are generally 64-256 mm in diameter. Can be further classified as small and large cobble. Commonly used by salmon in the construction of a redd. cold monomixis Complete circulation once a year when ice cover is absent; comprised of cold thereimictic and warm thereimictic lakes. Cold thereimixis summer circulation when the water mixing period is about 4°C; typical of a polar lake. colonization The establishment of a species in an area not currently occupied by that species. Colonization often involves dispersal across an area of unsuitable habitat. commercial fishery A fishery, using various types of fishing gear, that is intended to harvest one or more species of fish for the purpose of selling them to fish buyers or directly to the public. competence A stream's ability to move a particle of a given size. conductance Conductivity, sometimes called Electrical conductivity or EC. The indirect measurement of electrolytes in water; the reciprocal of resistance; an electromotive force of 1 volt between two points is 1 mho or 1 ohm or 1 siemans (S); specific conductance, usually the electron flow between two cm2 electrodes, set 1 cm apart. confluence The act of flowing together; the meeting or junction of two or more streams; also, the place where these streams meet. conifer A tree belonging to the order Gymnospermae, comprising a wide range of trees that are mostly evergreens. Conifers bear cones (hence, coniferous) and needle-shaped or scalelike leaves. coniferous Pertaining to Conifers, which bear woody cones containing naked seeds. conservation The process or means of achieving recovery of viable populations. consumer Organism that eats other organisms for food. Carnivores and herbivores are consumers. contaminate To make impure or unclean by contact or mixture. contiguous habitat Habitat suitable to support the life needs of species that is distributed continuously or nearly continuously across the landscape. controller A device which measures some parameter of a pond or aquarium, and then switches on and off another device to affect it in some way.   copro A prefix pertaining to feces. core area The area of habitat essential in the breeding, nesting and rearing of young, up to the point of dispersal of the young.   Corps of Engineers (U.S. Army) An agency with the responsibility for design, construction and operation of civil works, including multipurpose dams and navigation projects. cover Vegetation used by wildlife for protection from predators, or to mitigate weather conditions, or to reproduce. May also refer to the protection of the soil and the shading provided to herbs and forbs by vegetation. CPOM Coarse particulate organic matter, greater than 1 mm diameter -crene or creno- suffix or prefix designating a spring or seep crenogenic meromixis Meromixis in which the density contrast between the waters of the monimolimnion and the mixolimnion is caused by subsurface flows of saline water from springs or seeps. cryo- referring to ice. crucial habitat Habitat that is basic to maintaining viable populations of fish and wildlife during certain seasons of the year or specific reproduction periods. crustacean An animal with a rigid body covering or exoskeleton and jointed legs, mostly aquatic, ranging in size from microscopic to crayfish, shrimp, and large lobsters. cryogenic lake A lake occupying a thaw basin in a region of permanently frozen ground. cryogenic meromixis Meromixis caused, in part, by the vertical contrast in salinity that comes about from the freezing-out effect of surface ice. cryptodepression The portion of a lake basin that is below sea level. cryptoheic Describing hidden drainage where stream flow is below the surface, usually in limestone, karstic regions. ctenoid scales A type of fish scale that has spines or ctenii on the posterior or exposed portion, found on bass, walleye, and other fish. cycloid scales Smooth, flat, round scales that have concentric lines called circuli, found on trout, herring, and other fish. cyclomorphosis The sequential appearance of con-specific different morphs, usually seen in micro-crustaceans and rotifers.
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dam A concrete or earthen barrier constructed across a river and designed to control water flow or create a reservoir. debris flow A rapid moving mass of rock fragments, soil, and mud, with more that half of the particles being larger that sand size. debris torrent Rapid movement of a large quantity of materials (wood and sediment) down a stream channel during storms or floods. This generally occurs in smaller streams and results in scouring of streambed. deciduous Trees and plants that shed their leaves at the end of the growing season. deciduous plant Plants characterized by a specific growth and dormancy cycle, with certain parts falling at the end of the growing period, as leaves, fruits, etc., or after anthesis, as the petals of many flowers. Or plants having leaves of this type. As contrasted with Evergreen which remains verdant throughout the year. decomposer An organism that break down dead organisms into basic elements. Bacteria are decomposers. decomposition The breakdown of matter by bacteria and fungi, changing the chemical makeup and physical appearance of materials. deflector screens/diversion screens Wire mesh screens placed at the point where water is diverted from a stream or river. The screens keep fish from entering the diversion channel or pipe. degradation Erosion of a stream's channel; the inverse of aggradation deionization A process for filtering tap water before it is added to the pond or aquarium. It comes with either separate or mixed-bed resins. The mixed-bed resins are disposable when they are exhausted, whereas separate resins can be recharged.   denitrification The microbial production of N; and N2O from nitrites and nitrates, mostly anaerobic, but not always. density (biological population) The number or size of a population in relation to some unit of space. density current A current moving along the bottom slope or cutting through other water masses, its greater density owed to salinity, turbidity, or temperature. descaling A condition in which a fish has lost a certain percentage of scales. detritus Dead organic matter and its associated microbial elements, particulate (POM) or dissolved (DOM), found on the ground or bottom of a pond. dewatering Elimination of water from a lake, river, stream, reservoir, or containment. diapause A quiescent, physiologically inactive stage that is regularly a part of the life cycle. diaphragm pump The most common type of air pump which uses a pulsing diaphragm to input air into a pond or aquarium.   diatom filter A mechanical filter that uses diatomaceous earth to remove very fine particles from the water. Not to be used continuously on a pond, but better suited for maintenance intervals. diatoms Single-celled creatures with hard, silica-based shells. Their shells are used for diatom filters.   dichothermy A phenomenon in which a vertical temperature profile contains an inflection, a low temperature point bounded by higher temperatures; seen in some meromictic lakes. dike (1) (Engineering) An embankment to confine or control water, especially one built along the banks of a river to prevent overflow of lowlands; a levee. (2) A low wall that can act as a barrier to prevent a spill from spreading. (3) (Geology) A tabular body of igneous (formed by volcanic action) rock that cuts across the structure of adjacent rocks or cuts massive rocks. dimixis Two circulation or mixing periods, vernal and autumnal, per year; dimictic lakes circulate after the ice melts before summer stratification and after temperature stratification is destroyed and before the ice forms. direct stratification Condition in which dense water lies below lighter water; usually refers to a temperature profile. discharge The volume of a stream flow passing a point during some period of time; often expressed as cfs or cubic feet/second. dissolved gas concentrations The amount of chemicals normally occurring as gases, such as nitrogen and oxygen, that are held in solution in water, expressed in units such as milligrams of the gas per liter of liquid. Supersaturation occurs when these solutions exceed the saturation level of the water (beyond 100 percent). dissolved oxygen (DO) The amount of free (not chemically combined) oxygen dissolved in water, wastewater, or other liquid, usually expressed in milligrams per liter, parts per million, or percent of saturation. distributary One of the branches formed by a major stream as it flows across its delta to the sea. disturbance A force that causes significant change in structure and/or composition through natural events such as fire, flood, wind, or earthquake, mortality caused by insect or disease outbreaks, or by human-caused events, e.g., the harvest of forest products. ditch A long narrow trench or furrow dug in the ground, as for irrigation, drainage, or a boundary line. diversion The transfer of water from a stream, lake, aquifer, or other source of water by a canal, pipe, well, or other conduit to another watercourse or to the land, as in the case of an irrigation system. diversion channel (1) An artificial channel constructed around a town or other point of high potential flood damages to divert floodwater from the main channel to minimize flood damages. (2) A channel carrying water from a diversion dam. diversion dam A barrier built to divert part or all of the water from a stream into a different course. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) DNA is a complex molecule that carries an organism s heritable information. The two types of DNA commonly used to examine genetic variation are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), a circular molecule that is maternally inherited, and nuclear DNA, which is organized into a set of chromosomes. See also allele, electrophoresis, and transferrin. dolina A depression owed to dissolution and collapse in limestone substrata; a sink or swallow hole. DOM Dissolved organic material not retained by membrane filters with a pore size of 0.45mm. dorsal Pertaining to the back, or situated near to or on the back. dorsal fin The fin located on the back of fishes, and in front of the adipose fin, if it is present. dorsal fin ray Refers to one of the cartilaginous rays (stiff rods) located in the membrane of a dorsal fin. dosing pump A slow drip pump used to add liquids such as water or trace elements to a pond.   dragonfly A large, long-bodied insect with narrow, transparent wings often seen around water. Adult dragonflies feed on flying insects, such as mosquitoes. Females lay eggs in ponds and the larvae feed on small aquatic animals. drainage An area (basin) mostly bounded by ridges or other similar topographic features, encompassing part, most, or all of a watershed and enclosing some 5,000 acres. drainage area See watershed. dredging Digging up and removing material from wetlands or waterways, usually to make them deeper or wider. drought Generally, the term is applied to periods of less than average or normal precipitation over a certain period of time sufficiently prolonged to cause a serious hydrological imbalance resulting in biological losses (impact flora and fauna ecosystems) and/or economic losses (affecting man). In a less precise sense, it can also signify nature's failure to fulfill the water wants and needs of man. dry wash A streambed that carries water only during and immediately following rainstorms. dy The sediment of a dystrophic lake, rich in humas and partially decayed plant fragments. dystrophy The condition in water in which decay is hindered and recycling of nutrients is slowed.
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ecology The branch of biology that studies the relations between organisms and their environment. ecologic efficiency The amount of energy, expressed as per cent, captured by one trophic level from the lower or proceeding level. ecospecies Different organisms with almost identical functions in separate communities ecosystem A group of different kinds of plants and animals living in a well-defined area, including all of the non-living elements that surround them, such as air, water, heat, light, etc. ectogenic meromixis Partial circulation in which the density contrast between the waters of the monimolimnion and the mixolimnion is caused by waters from outside sources, saline water being introduced into a dilute lake or dilute water being introduced from elsewhere to a saline lake. edaphic Referring to the ground or soil, especially with reference to materials derived from them or their influence. eddy A current or small whirlpool running contrary to the main flow. effluent (1) Something that flows out or forth, especially a stream flowing out of a body of water. (2) (Water Quality) Discharged wastewater such as the treated wastes from municipal sewage plants, brine wastewater from desalting operations, and coolant waters from a nuclear power plant. El Niño current An intermittent warm water current that originates from the tropics and overrides the normal cold water currents that persist along the Pacific coast, resulting in warmer than normal ocean conditions. elodea A flowering plant commonly found submerged in ponds and streams; also commonly used in freshwater aquaria. embankment An artificial deposit of material that is raised above the natural surface of the land and used to contain, divert, or store water, support roads or railways, or for other similar purposes. embryo The early stages of development before an organism becomes self supporting. emergence The process during which fry leave their gravel spawning nest and enter the water column. emigration Referring to the movement of organisms out of an area. See immigration and migrating. endangered species Any species of plant of animal defined through the Endangered Species Act as being in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion or its range, and published in the Federal Register. Endangered Species Act (ESA) A 1973 Act of Congress that mandated that endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife, and plants be protected and restored. endemic Native to or limited to a specific region. endogenic Endogenous, formed or produced internally; used rarely in place of autochthonous or authigenic. energy The ability to work (i.e., exert a force over distance). Energy is measured in calories, joules, KWH, BTUs, MW-hours, and average MWs. energy flow The passage of energy from one level in a food chain to another. entrainment The incidental trapping of fish and other aquatic organisms in the water. environment Everything that surrounds a living organism including all the physical factors as well as other organisms. epeirogeny The tectonic events that raise large crustal blocks. ephemeral streams Streams which flow only in direct response to precipitation and whose channel is at all times above the water table. epigean Living above ground; surface dwelling. epilimnion The upper region of a thermally stratified lake, above the thermocline, and generally warm and well oxygenated. epilithic Growing on a stony substratum. Epipelic- growing on a mud or ooze surface. equilibrium CO2 The CO2 gas necessary for maintaining CaC03 in solution as Ca(HCO3)2. erosion Wearing away of rock or soil by the gradual detachment of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice, and other mechanical, chemical, or biological forces. ESA The U.S. Endangered Species Act. estuary A coastal body of water that is semi-enclosed, openly connected with the ocean, and mixes with freshwater drainage from land. euryhaline Having a wide tolerance to salinity. eutrophic Usually refers to a nutrient-enriched, highly productive body of water. eutrophication The process of enrichment of water bodies by nutrients. eutrophy The condition of water being rich in plant nutrients and the subsequent results. evaporate To change from a liquid form to a gas or vapor. evaporation The physical process by which a liquid (or a solid) is transformed to the gaseous state. In Hydrology, evaporation is vaporization that takes place at a temperature below the boiling point. exotic species Introduced species not native to the place where they are found external filter A filter that is housed away from the pond or aquarium.   external loading Nutrients or pollutants arriving at a body of water via external routes, for example, influent streams.
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fauna (1) A term used to describe the animal species of a specific region or time. (2) All animal life associated with a given habitat, country, area, or period.   fecundity The total number of eggs produced by a female fish.   fill Any sediment deposited by any agent such as water so as to fill or partly fill a channel, valley, sink, or other depression. fill dam Any dam constructed of excavated natural materials or of industrial waste materials. filter Filters are units designed to clean and clear water. There are three types: mechanical, biological, & chemical.   fin ray A soft or hard cartilaginous rod in fins. fingerling Refers to a young fish in its first or second year of life. Fish and Wildlife Agencies This category includes the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the Interior; the Idaho Department of Fish and Game; the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Department of Commerce; the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife; and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. fish screen A screen across the turbine intake of a dam, designed to divert the fish into the bypass system. flash flood A sudden flood of great volume, usually caused by a heavy rain. Also, a flood that crests in a short length of time and is often characterized by high velocity flows. It is often the result of heavy rainfall in a localized area. floodplain Land that gets covered with water as a result of the flooding of a nearby stream. Or level lowland bordering a stream or river onto which the flow spreads at flood stage. flora A term used to describe the entire plant species of a specified region or time. Also - the sum total of the kinds of plants in an area at one time. All plant life associated with a given habitat, country, area, or period. Bacteria are considered flora.   flume A narrow gorge, usually with a stream flowing through it. Also - an open artificial channel or chute carrying a stream of water, as for furnishing power, conveying logs, or as a measuring device. fluvial Migrating between main rivers and tributaries. Of or pertaining to streams or rivers. fluvitile Referring to streams, fluvial. food chain A sequence of organisms in a community in which one kind feeds on another, etc. ford A shallow place in a body of water, such as a river, where one can cross by walking or riding on an animal or in a vehicle. forest canopy The cover of branches and foliage formed collectively by the crowns of adjacent trees and other woody growth. FPOM Fine Particulate Organic Matter, with a diameter between 0.45mm and 1 mm. freshet A rapid temporary increase in stream flow due to heavy rains or snow melt.   freshwater marsh Open wetlands that occur along rivers and lakes. freshwater swamp Forested or shrubby wetlands. fry A stage of development in young salmon or trout. During this stage the fry is usually less than one year old, has absorbed its yolk sac, is rearing in the stream, and is between the alevin and parr stage of development.
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Gallons Per Minute (GPM) A unit used to measure water flow. game fish A fish that is regulated by law for recreational harvest. gametes The sexual reproductive cells, eggs and sperm. gene The chemical unit of hereditary information that can be passed on from generation to generation. gene pool The total genes in a breeding population.   genetic diversity The array of genetic traits that exists within a population which enables it to adapt to changing conditions. genetic drift The random fluctuation of allele frequencies in a population resulting from the sampling of gametes to produce a finite number of individuals in the next generation.   genetics The study of genes and gene pools. genotype The complement of genes in an individual. Or the entire genetic constitution of an organism. Geographic Information System (GIS) A computer system capable of storing and manipulating spatial (i.e., mapped) data. gill rakers A series of projections located along the front edge of the gill arch.   gills The fleshy, and highly vascular organs comparable to lungs used in aquatic respiration. gilvin A name proposed for the yellow humic molecules that stain natural waters.   glide A section of stream that has little or no turbulence. graded stream A stream in dynamic equilibrium between erosional and depositional forces, flowing over a bed composed of alluvium brought and deposited by its own flow.   gradient Vertical drop per unit of horizontal distance. gravity feed system A system that provides flow in a channel or conduit through the use of gravity.   gross production Total organic production including losses to respiration and other metabolic processes; net production plus respiration. groundwater Subsurface water and underground streams that can be collected with wells, or that flow naturally to the earth's surface though springs.