This is the Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for
August 2004. Water quality sampling was performed August 9th through
August 12th. Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin
was warm, with daytime high air temperatures from the mid 80s to the low 100s
at Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime highs
from the upper 80s to the upper 90s.
Lows ranged from the mid 60s to the upper 70s at Lake
Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend and Orange had lows ranging from the mid 60s to
the mid 80s. Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
exhibited thermal stratification. During
the 28 days prior to the August sample run, the Upper
Basin received 2.93 and 4.72 inches of
rainfall as recorded at Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork,
respectively. The week prior to the
sample run, Lake Tawakoni
received a tenth of an inch of rain and Lake Fork
received no rain. Toledo Bend and Orange received 1.17 and
1.84 inches, respectively, during the 28 days preceding the sample run.
Upper Sabine Basin
Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork
and Lake Tawakoni
For the August sample run, most water quality parameter
measurements at Upper
Basin sites were
consistent with water of high quality. The
level of Lake Fork
was recorded at 402.37 feet msl with 64 cfs releases and the level of Lake Tawakoni
was recorded at 437.12 feet msl with 5 cfs releases at the time of
sampling. LT23D did not meet the stream standards numeric criteria for pH. This
site along with LT23A, LT23C, LF2, LF3, LF4, SR19 and SR10 also had high levels
of dissolved oxygen with greater than 100 percent dissolved oxygen saturation.
Elevated dissolved oxygen levels with greater than 100 percent dissolved oxygen
saturation indicate algal bloom conditions.
These conditions may also lead to elevated pH levels. No sites exceeded the stream standards
numeric criteria for E. coli.
Lower Sabine Basin
Including Toledo
Bend to Morgan Bluff
The August monthly sampling results were indicative of water
of high quality at most sites. No
rainfall was measured during the seven days prior to sampling. The level of Toledo Bend Reservoir was
recorded at 170.50 feet msl with 204 cfs discharge at the time of
sampling. All reservoir stations were
stratified, with pH and dissolved oxygen differences throughout the water
column as well as anoxic conditions at the deepest depths. Station TB6R had elevated pH and dissolved
oxygen percent saturation indicating an algal bloom.
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 trace amounts of
rainfall during the week prior to the sample run. All of the sites in this section of the Basin
showed some stratification, with one site showing anoxic conditions at its
deepest depths. Surface salinities were
found at all but two tidal stations. The
highest salinity value of 15 ppt was found at station SRT1C at a depth of 11.2
meters. All the parameters measured in
the tidal section of the Basin were within stream standard criteria.
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)