This is the Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for
September 2004. Water quality sampling was performed September 13th
through September 16th. Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin
was warm, with daytime high air temperatures from the low 80s to the mid 90s at
Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange had daytime highs
from the low 80s to the mid 90s. Lows
ranged from the mid 50s to the upper 60s at Lake
Tawakoni and at Lake Fork. Toledo Bend and Orange had lows ranging from the low 60s to
the mid 70s. Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
exhibited thermal stratification. During
the 28 days prior to the September sample run, the Upper
Basin received 2.42 and 2.11 inches of
rainfall as recorded at Lake Tawakoni and Lake Fork,
respectively. The week prior to the
sample run, Lake Tawakoni
and Lake Fork did not receive any rain. Toledo Bend and Orange received 1.02 and 3.11 inches,
respectively, during the 28 days preceding the sample run.
Upper Sabine Basin
Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork
and Lake Tawakoni
For the September 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 401.73 feet msl with 64 cfs releases and the level of Lake Tawakoni
was recorded at 436.61 feet msl with 5 cfs releases at the time of
sampling. LT23D, LT23C and SR11 did not meet the stream standards numeric
criteria for pH. These sites along with
LF3 had high levels of dissolved oxygen with greater than 100 percent dissolved
oxygen saturation. Chlorophyll a
values at LT23A, LT23D, LT23C LF3 and LF4 were above the screening levels for reservoir
sites. Elevated chlorophyll a levels and high dissolved oxygen with
greater than 100 percent dissolved oxygen saturation indicate algal bloom
conditions. These conditions may also
lead to elevated pH levels. SR16
exceeded the stream standards numeric criteria for E. coli.
Lower Sabine Basin
Including Toledo
Bend to Morgan Bluff
The September 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 168.43 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. Anoxic conditions were found at the deepest
depths at most of the lake stations. pH
values exceeded stream standards at stations TB7A, TB6R, and TB6K. Stations TB8, TB7A, TB6R, and TB6K had a
dissolved oxygen percent saturation value above 100%. These factors together indicate an algal
bloom on the northern sections of Toledo Bend.
A chlorophyll a value above
the screening criteria was also found at station TB6F.
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 0.42 inches of
rainfall the day prior to the sample run.
All of the sites in this section of the Basin showed some
stratification, but no anoxic conditions were found. Surface salinities were found at all tidal
stations with the highest value of 10 ppt found at station BB1. The overall greatest salinity value of 20 ppt
was found at station SRT1 at a depth of 10.6 meters. All but one of the tidal stations recorded Enterococcus results that were above the
stream standard criteria. This is most
likely a result of the rain the day prior to sampling that was preceded by over
a week with dry conditions.
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)