This glossary was put together using some of the definitions from Water On the Web (http://wow.nrri.umn.edu/wow/index.html). We would like to thank them for their help!
A B
C D E
F G H
I J K
L M N
O P Q
R S T
U V W
X Y Z
A
Abiotic: Not alive, not biological.
Acid: Below 7 on the pH scale of 0-14
Acid rain: Precipitation lower than the natural range of ~ 5.5. Acid rain
occurs when sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) mix with the oxygen,
water and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form different acidic compounds.
Adhesion: The tendency to want to adhere or come together. Water
molecules tend to adhere together.
Adirondack Park: A 6-million acre park created in 1892 to help protect
water and timber resources. Approximately half of the park is privately owned,
the other half is protected forest preserve.
Algae: Simple single-celled, colonial, or multi-celled, aquatic plants.
Alkalinity: Acid neutralizing or buffering capacity of water; a measure
of the ability of water to resist changes in pH caused by the addition of acids
or bases and therefore, the main indicator of susceptibility to acid rain
Anoxia: Without dissolved oxygen
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Base: A substance which accepts protons (H+) and has a pH greater than
7 on a scale of 0-14; also referred to as an alkaline substance.
Basin: The area that surrounds the body of water and drains into that
body of water.
Benthic: Refers to the bottom of the lake.
Biodiversity: The number and variety of species in a region. A diverse
habitat is more healthy and can support more organisms than one that has been
taken over by an invasive species.
Biotic: Alive
Buffer: A substance that tends to keep pH levels fairly constant when
acids or bases are added.
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Carbon Dioxide: A gas that is colorless and odorless. CO2 is absorbed
and incorporated by plants for photosynthesis in the "dark" cycles of
photosynthesis.
Carnivore: "Meat" eaters; organisms that eat other organisms.
Chlorophyll: The green pigment in plants that transforms light energy
into chemical energy in photosynthesis.
Clarity: How clear the water is.
Cohesion: The molecular force between particles within a substance that
acts to unite them
Conductivity: Measures water's ability to conduct an electric current and
is directly related to the total dissolved salts (ions) in the water.
Consumers: Animals that eat other animals to maintain their energy
levels. Unlike producers, they can't make their own food through photosynthesis.
Cultural Eutrophication: The filling in of a lake or other water body due
to runoff from human activity. Salt and sand from winter de-icing runs off the
roads and into our waterways.
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D
Decomposition: The breakdown of organic matter by fungi and bacteria.
Deep water sampler: A device used to obtain water at different depths for
sampling purposes. Kemmerer bottles and Van Dorn bottles are commonly used for
this.
Delta: A deposit of sediment at the mouth of a stream or river.
Density: The mass of a substance or organism per unit volume (kg/cubic
meter; grams/liter).
Detritus: Dead or decaying matter.
Dissolved Oxygen: The concentration of oxygen dissolved in water. Usually
expressed in milligrams per liter or parts per million.
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E
Ecosystem: All of the organisms in an area and their relationship with
each other, their surroundings and their chemical environment.
Epilimnion: The upper, warmer, lighter layer of water.
Eutrophication: The process by which a body of water acquires nutrients.
This leads to excessive plant growth, and low water clarity.
Eutrophic lake: One that is high in nutrients. Water clarity is generally
lower due to high amounts of plant growth, including phytoplankton.
Exotic Species: A species not native to the area in which it is being
found.
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F
Fall turnover: When the layers of water in a lake are mixed as the
warm water on the surface is cooled by falling temperatures and sinks to the
bottom, pushing up warm water. Eventually the lake water will be one temperature
from top to bottom.
Flow rate: The rate at which water moves by a given point; in rivers it
is usually measured in cubic meters per second (m3/sec) or cubic feet per second
(cfs).
Flushing rate: The retention time (turnover rate or flushing rate), the
average length of time water resides in a lake, ranging from several days in
small impoundments to many years in large seepage lakes. Retention time is
important in determining the impact of nutrient inputs. Long retention times
result in recycling and greater nutrient retention in most lakes. Calculate
retention time by dividing the volume of water passing through the lake per year
by the lake volume.
Food chain: The transfer of energy that occurs when a series of organisms
eat (or decompose) the following one. An example: insect-fish-bear or the
sequence of algae being eaten by zooplankton (grazers; herbivores) which in turn
are eaten by small fish (planktivores; predators) which are then eaten by larger
fish (piscivores; fish eating predators) and eventually by people or other
predators (fish-eating birds, mammals, and reptiles).
Food web: A network of interrelated food chains.
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G
Geographic Information System (GIS): A computer system which allows
for input and manipulation of geographic data to allow researchers to
manipulate, analyze and display the information in a map format.
Global Positioning System (GPS): A satellite navigation system used to
locate something, or someone. A GPS device gives you the latitude and longitude
of your location using a constellation of satellites. Recreationally it is used
in cars, boats, for hiking, etc.
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H
Herbivores: Plant-eating animals.
Hydrogen: Colorless, odorless and tasteless gas; combines with oxygen to
form water.
Hydrology: The study of water's properties, distribution and circulation
on Earth.
Hypolimnion: The bottom, and most dense layer of a stratified lake. It is
typically the coldest layer in the summer and warmest in the winter. It is
isolated from wind mixing and typically too dark for much plant photosynthesis
to occur.
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I
Ice-out: The date when the ice breaks up and thaws.
Impervious surface: A surface that cannot absorb water, and prevents the
soil from absorbing the water. Concrete is an impervious surface, as are most
roads, driveways, and buildings.
Inflow: Water flowing into a lake.
Inorganic: Not composed of plant or animal materials.
Invasive species: A plant or animal, not native to a region. It does not
have any predators in that region to keep its population in check. This species
will spread rapidly and take over native habitat, reducing biodiversity.
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J
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K
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L
Lake George Park: An area of land that is roughly the Lake George
Watershed and includes the lake. It is about 300 square miles, about half of
which is privately owned. It was created in 1961 along with the Lake George Park
Commission.
Landuse: The way the land is used: farmland, developed, woodland, forest,
etc.
Limnology: The study of freshwater; including lakes, ponds, rivers,
streams, etc.
Littoral: Near the shore.
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M
Mesotrophic lake: Moderately productive: contains a moderate amount of
nutrients and algal growth.
Metalimnion: The middle or transitional zone between the well mixed
epilimnion and the colder hypolimnion layers in a stratified lake. This layer
contains the thermocline, but is loosely defined depending on the shape of the
temperature profile.
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N
Native species: A plant or animal that has been in a region prior to
European settlement.
Non-native species: A plant or animal that is not originally from a
particular region. It does not necessarily represent a threat to native species.
Non-point source pollution: Pollutants that come from a land area not
discharged from a pipe.
Nuisance species: A species that threatens the diversity of native
species, usually by aggressive growing habitats.
Nutrients: Substances needed for growth by plants and animals. Phosphorus
and nitrogen are two examples. To help plants grow, we generally apply
fertilizer which contains nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen. In a lake, too
many nutrients can lead to algal blooms.
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O
Oligotrophic lake: A lake that is relatively unproductive. It has few
nutrients and relatively few plants and algae. It tends to be very clear.
Omnivorous: Eats both plants and animals.
Organic: Composed of plant or animal (natural) materials.
Outflow: Where a lake discharges, or where water exits a lake.
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P
pH: A measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions.
pH Scale: A scale used to determine the alkaline or acidic nature of a
substance. The scale ranges from 1-14 with 1 being the most acidic and 14 the
most basic. Pure water is neutral with a pH of 7.
Phosphorus: Key nutrient influencing plant growth in lakes.
Photosynthesis: The process by which green plants convert carbon dioxide
(CO2) dissolved in water to sugars and oxygen using sunlight for energy.
Photosynthesis is essential in producing a lake's food base, and is an important
source of oxygen for many lakes.
Phytoplankton: Microscopic floating plants, mainly algae, that live in
bodies of water and that drift about because they cannot move by themselves or
because they are too small or too weak to swim effectively against a current.
Potable: drinkable, safe to drink
ppb: Part-per-billion; equivalent to a microgram per liter (ug/l).
ppm: Part-per-million; equivalent to a milligram per liter (mg/l).
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Q
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R
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S
Secchi disk: A black and white disk, usually 20 cm. in diameter. Measures
the clarity of the water.
Sedimentation: The buildup of sediment in the water.
Septic system: An onsite system designed to treat and dispose of domestic
sewage from a residence or business. It consists of a tank and a septic field.
Wastes are decomposed by bacteria, but some waste still remains in the tank and
needs to be pumped out periodically.
Sewage: Used water and waste (usually human excrement) carried through
home or commercial pipes that go to a septic system or wastewater treatment
facility.
Sewage sludge: The solid matter that settles out during the treatment of
sewage.
Spring turnover: When lake water is mixed after ice-out and becomes one
temperature throughout, until warmer weather causes the water to separate into
layers (see hypolimnion, metalimnion, or epilimnion).
Stormwater discharge: precipitation that does not become absorbed into
the soil (due to impervious surfaces), or is evaporated. Instead it flows into a
nearby waterbody and usually carries contaminants with it.
Stratification: Layering (see hypolimnion, metalimnion, or epilimnion).
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T
Temperature: How hot or cold something is as determined by a thermometer.
Trophic State: The nutrient level of a body of water. There are 3 levels:
Eutrophic (high in nutrients), Mesotrophic, and Oligotrophic (low in nutrients).
Thermal stratification: The layer of water based on the density of water
at different temperatures. Warm water is at the top; and cold water near the
bottom.
Thermocline: A sudden drop in water temperature over a short distance. It
is surrounded by the epilimnion above and the hypolimnion underneath. Cold water
fish are usually found near or below the thermocline.
Topography: The physical or surface features of an area.
Total dissolved solids (TDS): The dissolved solids found in water that
consist of organic and inorganic matter.
Tributary: A smaller river or stream that flows into a larger body of
water.
Turbidity: The amount of particles in the water that allow for clarity.
(How clear the water is).
Turnover: A thorough mixing of all the layers in a lake. It usually
occurs in the spring and/or fall in deeper lakes.
Two-story fishery: A fishery that can sustain both warm water fish (bass,
catfish, etc.) and cold water fish (salmon, trout, etc.)
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U
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V
Vegetative Buffer: Plants at the shoreline that stabilize the shoreline and
help keep contaminates from lawns and runoff from entering the water.
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W
Wastewater: Used water and waste that flow from homes or commercial
businesses that eventually goes to a treatment plant. Sewage is another term for
it, but wastewater can also include stormwater and runoff from streets.
Watershed: The land that surrounds and drains into a body of water.
Weed: A plant that is considered undesirable. It may be native but it is
unwanted where it is, such as a dandelion in a grass lawn.
Wetland: Land that is permanently or temporarily wet, often due to the
water table. It is usually characterized by plants that require or tolerate wet
soil to grow.
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X
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Y
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Z
Zooplankton: Small microscopic animals found in water.
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