This is the Sabine River Authority Water Quality Report for
December 2004. Water quality sampling
was performed December 13th through December 16th. Recent weather (previous seven days) in the Sabine River Basin
was cool, with daytime highs from the low 50s to the low 70s at Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork.
Toledo Bend Reservoir and Orange
had daytime highs from the high 50s to the mid 70s. Lows ranged from the low 40s to the mid 50s
at Lake Tawakoni
and at Lake Fork.
Toledo Bend and Orange
had lows ranging from the high 20s to the low 50s. The waters of Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
were mixed, exhibiting no thermal stratification. During the 28 days prior to the sample run,
the Upper Basin
received 5.63 and 4.89 inches of rainfall as recorded at Lake
Tawakoni and at Lake Fork,
respectively. Lake
Tawakoni and Lake Fork
received 0.38 and 0.39 inches of rainfall the week preceding the sample
run. Toledo Bend and Orange received 9.29 and 6.07 inches,
respectively, during the 28 days prior to the sample run.
Upper Sabine Basin
Above Toledo Bend Including Lake Fork
and Lake Tawakoni
Most water quality parameter measurements at Upper Basin
sites were consistent with water of high quality for the December sample
run. The level of Lake
Fork was recorded at 402.48 feet msl
with 8 cfs releases and the level of Lake
Tawakoni was recorded at
437.63 feet msl with 126 cfs releases at the time of sampling. LT23A, SR22, and SR19 exceeded the recommended
screening criteria for chlorophyll a. LT23A, LT23C and LT23D had over 100%
saturation for dissolved oxygen. High
chlorophyll a levels in conjunction with dissolved oxygen saturation values
exceeding 100% often indicate algal bloom conditions. LF2 exceeded the recommended screening
criteria for orthophosphate. All
reservoir and stream sites were within approved Stream Standards levels for E. coli.
Lower Sabine Basin
Including Toledo
Bend to Morgan Bluff
The December 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 170.29 feet msl with 14,844 cfs discharge at the time of sampling. Most reservoir stations were well mixed with
similar readings throughout the water column.
All parameters measured were within the Stream Standards criteria.
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 only trace
amounts of rainfall during the seven days prior to the sample run. Most of the sites in this section of the
Basin were well mixed with only slight stratification, and no anoxic conditions
were found at any tidal station. No
surface salinities were found at any tidal station and only two stations
recorded a salinity value above 1 ppt at any depth. The greatest salinity measured was 13 ppt,
found at station SRT1 at a depth of 10.8 meters. All parameters measured were within Stream
Standards 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)