This is the
Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for February 2004. Water quality
sampling was performed February 9th through February 12th.
Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine
River Basin was cool, with daytime
high air temperatures (Fahrenheit) from the low 40’s to the mid 50’s at Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime highs
from the low 40’s to the upper 60’s.
Lows ranged from the mid 20’s to the low 40’s at Lake
Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend and Orange had lows ranging from the mid 20’s to
the upper 40’s. The reservoir sites were
mixed. During the 28 days since the
January sample run, the Upper Basin received 4.2 and 4.8 inches of rainfall as
recorded at Lake Tawakoni
and Lake Fork, respectively. The week prior to the sample run, Lake Tawakoni
recorded 1.81 inches and Lake
Fork recorded 2.73 inches
of rain. Toledo Bend and Orange received 9.17 and
13.25 inches, respectively, during the 28 days preceding the sample run.
Upper Sabine Basin
Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork
and Lake Tawakoni
For the February sample run, most
parameter measurements at Upper
Basin sites were
consistent with water of high quality.
Nitrate and ortho-phosphate values at LT23C were above screening
levels. BS9 was below stream standards
for pH. Most likely due to recent rains,
the stream sites LF20, BS9, SR22, SR21, SR19, SR17, SR16, SR15, SR14, SR11, and
SR10 exceeded the stream standards numeric criteria for E. coli.
Lower Sabine Basin
Including Toledo
Bend to Morgan Bluff
The February monthly sampling results were indicative of
water of high quality at most sites. The
Lower Basin recorded close to two inches of
rainfall during the sample run in addition to nearly three inches that were
recorded the week prior to sampling. The
level of Toledo Bend Reservoir was recorded at 170.95 feet and rising. The main
step-up transformer at the powerhouse
was down for repair, so powerhouse
releases of 14,000 cfs were simulated at the spillway beginning at 8 AM on the
day of sampling (February 11, 2004). Reservoir
sites were well mixed. Station TB6CN had
a pH result that was below the stream standard, and ten of the seventeen Lower Basin
sites had high bacterial counts. The
bacterial counts can be traced to the excessive rainfall the area received.
Tidal Section of
the Sabine Basin below Morgan Bluff
Most sites sampled in the tidal
portion of the Sabine
Basin had values that are
consistent with water of high quality.
The tidal stations also received a large amount of rainfall recently,
with most of the area receiving nearly four inches. Most sites in the Tidal Basin
were well mixed with only slight signs of stratification, and no anoxic
conditions were found at any tidal station.
All salinity readings were less than 1.0 ppt due to the heavy
rainfall. The bacterial results from all
of the tidal stations, except one, exceeded stream standards, which can also be
traced to the amount of rainfall that was received.
This Report and additional data
for these monitoring stations are available on our World Wide Web site (www.sra.dst.tx.us).
If you have any questions or comments concerning this report, please contact:
Ø
Upper Sabine Basin
Terry Wilson, Upper Basin Field Office Coordinator
903-878-2420 (twilson@sra.dst.tx.us)
Ø
Lower and Tidal Sabine
Basin
Jerry Wiegreffe, Lower Basin Field Office Coordinator
409-746-3284 (jwiegreffe@sra.dst.tx.us)
Ø
If above are unavailable
John Payne, Special Projects Administrator
409-746-2192 (jpayne@sra.dst.tx.us)
or
Miles Hall, Resource Management/ Project Development
Division Manager
409-746-2192 (mhall@sra.dst.tx.us)