Terminology

From Salish Sea Wiki

This page allows the addition of technical or esoteric terms. Anywhere that the term is used on the wiki, it will have a light underline, and hovering will generate a popup definition. This should be used sparingly and not for common words, as it will show up for every instance!

alluvium
gravel, sand and finer materials moved and sorted by rivers and streams
barrier-type embayment
an embayment formed in part by a barrier beach
barrier beach
a beach formed in the absence of a eroding bluff through transport
bluff-backed beach
a beach backed by a bluff, indicating opportunity for waves to recruit sediment
CFR
Code of Federal Regulation, published in the Federal Register Notice by executive agencies to implement law (sometimes called Administrative Law)
convergence zone
where beach sediment flowing in from two directions accumulates, frequently forming barrier beaches
cuspate foreland
a barrier beach landform where a sand spit projects outward like a point into deeper water, often at the convergence of two drift cells.
delta process unit
a delta landform including surrounding shallow water, uplands and the extent of tidal influence, including the watershed providing freshwater inputs
didactic
intended to teach or offer moral instruction, often indirectly
dissolved oxygen
the level of oxygen gas present in water, indicating its ability to support aquatic life.
divergence zone
a beach facing winter storms such that beach sediment flow diverges in two direction--often containing eroding bluffs
drift cell;drift cells
a length of shoreline containing a single complete sediment transport system including eroding banks, beaches, and deposition areas, with sediment flowing in the direction of prevailing waves.
ecosystem site
a unit from the nearshore project or watershed characterization watersheds that defines a ecologically cohesive site for management
ELJ;Engineered Log Jams;ELJs
Log structures build in a river or floodplain to provide the pool forming and other geomorphic functions of naturally occurring log jams, but where natural wood budgets have been degraded and don't support natural jam formation.
fecal coliform
bacteria associated with feces that indicate the likelihood that drinking water will cause a bacterial infection.
functional group
in ecology, a group of organisms that share characteristics in a community such that they perform similar functions or develop similarly adapted bodies.
inlet process unit
an embayment landform, commonly a drowned stream valley, and the watershed providing freshwater inputs
jurisdiction
a unit of government with specific authorities, or the area in which those authorities can be legally exercised
knowledge
facts or skills acquired by a person through experience or education.
littoral drift cell;littoral cell
a section of beach defined by the continuous conveyance of sand and gravel, potentially from many sources to a terminus
longshore transport;longshore
along the length of a shoreline often referring to movement of sand and gravel
macroalgae
the precise term for seaweed including kelps.
MHW
mean high water
MHHW
mean higher high water
PAH
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon--a family of organic carbon compounds associated with crude oil products.
peer-to-peer
from computing, a network where information flows without centralized intermediation, but where functions are achieved.
primary production
the capture of sun energy by plants, and the base of all food chains.
QAPP
A Quality Assurance Project Plan as required by EPA policy.
sediment
particles of clay, silt, sand, gravel, or cobble, transported by water, are called sediment.
regeneration
a broadly distributed living process whereby an organism is able to replace lost or damaged parts to maintain function.
shoreline process unit
a coastal watershed that encompasses a single contiguous beach system, following the Nearshore Project
smoltification
the process by which salmon transform their physiology to prepare for life in salt water
social-ecological system
an academic term describing ecosystems that include human societies, viewing the whole as an integrated complex system.
spit
a beach which projects out into deep water due to the interaction of abundant sediment supply and wave refraction
standard protocol;standardized protocols;standardizing protocols
establishing a specific way of doing something to gain the benefits of consistency
stream order
a method of describing the position of a stream in the watershed by considering the number of streams that have contributed to a given channel, with low order streams having fewer contributing streams
summer base flow;low flow;summer low flow
the flow in a stream during drought periods, when streams depend on groundwater.
tombolo
a barrier beach that connects two upland areas, like a isthmus
TMDL;Total Maximum Daily Load
Total Maximum Daily Load is a Clean Water Act term that describes a regulatory target that attempts to set a limit to pollutant inputs at a level that will meet water quality standards.
treaty rights;tribal treaty rights
a term describing the obligations of the United States to Indian tribes in the treaties under which tribal lands were ceded to the United States
U&A
Ususal and accustomed areas for fishing, hunting and harvest for treaty tribes.
watershed management unit
a watershed containing the whole of a tributary to one of the large rivers, following State Ecology's Watershed Characterization Project
wetland indicator codes
a classification system developed in the USA to assist in the determination of whether a site is or is not a wetland, whereby plants are rated for the likelihood that their occurrence indicates anoxic and saturated soils
wave action
the work that waves can do, sorting and transporting sediment or eroding bluffs