This is the Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for
May 2004. Water quality sampling was performed May 10th through May
13th. Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin
was mild, with daytime high air temperatures from the mid 70s to the mid 80s at
Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime highs
from the low 70s to the upper 80s. Lows
ranged from the low 50s to the mid 60s at Lake
Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend and Orange had lows ranging from the low 50s to
the mid 70s. Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
exhibited thermal stratification. During
the 28 days prior to the May sample run, the Upper Basin received 5.53 and 5.88
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 11.65 and 8.96 inches,
respectively, during the 28 days preceding the sample run.
Upper Sabine Basin
Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork
and Lake Tawakoni
For the May sample run, most water quality parameter
measurements at Upper
Basin sites were
consistent with water of high quality.
SR17, SR16, SR15, and SR14 did not meet stream standards numeric
criteria for dissolved oxygen. The LT23D
nitrate plus nitrite result was above nutrient screening levels and LT23A,
LT23D, LT23C had high levels of dissolved oxygen with greater than 100 percent
dissolved oxygen saturation. LT23C and LT23D also exceeded screening criteria
for chlorophyll a, indicating algal
activity.
Lower Sabine Basin
Including Toledo
Bend to Morgan Bluff
The May monthly sampling results were indicative of water of
high quality at most sites. The upper
part of the Lower
Sabine Basin
received no significant rainfall in the seven days prior to the sample run, but
the lower portion received more than three inches of heavy rainfall during
sampling. The level of Toledo Bend
Reservoir was recorded at 172.31 feet with no discharge from the spillway, but
both generators were operating at the time of sampling. All reservoir stations were thermally stratified
with pH and dissolved oxygen differences throughout the water column. Above normal pH values were recorded at
stations TB6LN and TB6K, but these stations were supersaturated with dissolved
oxygen at the surface indicating an algal bloom. Stations BA4, TB6S, SR5, and BCC1 had high
bacterial counts, but these areas were sampled after very heavy rains which
caused significant runoff.
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 over four and a
half inches 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. No salinity values were
recorded at any of the tidal stations due to the heavy rainfall. Bacterial counts were high at all but one of
the tidal stations as a result of the recent heavy rains the area 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)