To:            Interested Parties

From:      Water Resources Branch

RE:            April 2004 monthly Water Quality Report

This is the Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for April 2004. Water quality sampling was performed April 5th through April 8th. Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin was cool, with daytime high air temperatures from the upper 60s to the low 80s at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime highs from the mid 50s to the low 80s.  Lows ranged from the mid 40s to the mid 50s at Lake Tawakoni and at Lake Fork.  Toledo Bend and Orange had lows ranging from the low 40s to the upper 50s.  Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork exhibited thermal stratification at the deeper sampling sites.  During the 28 days prior to the April sample run, the Upper Basin received 2.67 and 1.34 inches of rainfall as recorded at Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork, respectively.  Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork recorded no rainfall the week prior to the sample run.  Toledo Bend and Orange received 1.48 and 3.58 inches, respectively, during the 28 days preceding the sample run.

Upper Sabine Basin Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni

For the April sample run, most water quality parameter measurements at Upper Basin sites were consistent with water of high quality.  The LT23A nitrate was above nutrient screening levels and SR10 had a high level of dissolved oxygen with greater than 100 percent dissolved oxygen saturation, indicating algal activity.  SR16 exceeded the stream standards numeric criteria for E. coli.

Lower Sabine Basin Including Toledo Bend to Morgan Bluff

The April monthly sampling results were indicative of water of high quality at most sites.  The last significant rainfall the Toledo Bend area received was over seven days prior to the sample run with only sporadic thundershowers during the week of sampling.  The level of Toledo Bend Reservoir was recorded at 169.93 feet with no discharge from the spillway or generators while sampling.  The reservoir was thermally stratified at all sampling stations with pH and dissolved oxygen differences throughout the water column.  A bacterial result above the stream standard was recorded at station BCC1, but this area also received one of the scattered thunderstorms just prior to sampling.

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 received close to an inch of rain the day prior to the sampling event.  Most sites in this section of the Basin showed signs of stratification, but no anoxic conditions were found at any tidal station.  Surface salinity values were recorded only at the two most southern sample sites.  The highest salinity value was 8 ppt recorded at station SRT1B at a depth of 10.4 meters.  All parameters recorded were within the stream standards for this section of the Basin.

 

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)

 

Printed Thursday, August 26, 2004 AT 08:32