Glossary of Water Words

Revised: May 28, 2015

 

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 ABANDONED WELL

well whose purpose and use have been permanently discontinued, or is in such disrepair that it cannot be used.

 ABANDONMENT

when a water right has been voluntarily unused for seven or more years.

 ABBREVIATIONS

for a listing of frequently used abbreviations, click here

 ABUTMENT

valley side against which a dam is constructed. Right or left abutments are as viewed when looking downstream.

 ABSTRACT OF TITLE

a summary of the conveyance, transfers, and other facts appearing of record and relied upon as evidence of title to real property.

 ACCRETION

process of accumulation by flowing water; gradual increase in the flow of a stream due to influent seepage.

 ACIDIC

condition of water or soil that contains a sufficient amount of acid substances to lower the pH below 7.0.

 ACRE

measure of area equal to 43,560 square feet (640 acres in a Section).

 ACRE-FOOT (AF)

unit commonly used to measure volume of water; equal to 43,560 cubic feet, or 325,851 gallons (will cover one acre one foot deep).

 ACTIVE STORAGE CAPACITY

amount of reservoir storage that can be released by gravity flow when the reservoir is not spilling.

 ADJUDICATION

refers to a judicial process whereby water rights are determined or decreed by a court of law.

 ADVERSE USE

establishing a water right by hostile means against all other water rights in a drainage basin. Not legal after 1939.

 ADVERTISE

to provide notice, usually by publication of a legal notice in one of more newspapers, of a proposed appropriation of water, change of use of water, or an extension of time in which to submit proof of appropriation.

 AFFLUENT STREAM

stream that flows into another stream, a lake; a tributary stream.

 AGGRADATION

process by which stream beds, flood plains and the bottoms of other water bodies are raised in elevation by the deposition of material eroded and transported from other areas.

 AIR INJECTION

pumping of compressed air into the soil to move water in the unsaturated zone down to the saturated zone.

 ALKALI

1) any strongly basic substance capable of neutralizing an acid that is soluble in water. 2) refers to soluble salts in soil, surface or ground water.

 ALLUVIAL

adjective referring to soil or earth material that has been deposited by running water.

Alluvial fan

 ALLUVIAL FAN

fan-shaped deposit of generally course material created where a stream flows out onto a gentle plain.

 ALLUVIAL STREAM

1) S-shaped channel pattern that is free to meander in a valley. 2) bed materials of silt, clay, sand and gravel are conveyed from upstream.

 ANISOTROPY

having physical characteristics which vary in different directions.

 ANNUAL FLOOD

highest peak discharge of a stream in a water year.

Alluvial stream

 ANNULUS

in a well, the space between the well casing and the outer wall of the borehole.

 APPLICATION

an official written request to the State Engineer for permission to initiate a water right, alter an existing water right, or alter a natural stream channel.

 APPROPRIATE

to initiate a water right by requesting and receiving permission to beneficially use public waters.

 APPLICATION FOR APPORTIONMENT OF BENEFICIAL USE AMOUNTS

an application requesting that the State Engineer apportion the Beneficial Uses of a Water Use Group among the supplemental water rights that make up the Water Use Group.

 APPROVAL

the granting of an application made to the State Engineer. Upon approval, the water right becomes appurtenant to its place of use.

 APPURTENANT

belonging to.

 APPURTENANT STRUCTURE

outlet works, spillway, access structure, bridges and other related structures to a dam.

 APPURTENANT TO PLACE OF USE

a characteristic of a water right such that when the land served is sold, the water right is automatically included in the sale, unless specifically exempted in the deed.

 AQUACULTURE

science and business of cultivating food fish or shellfish for commercial purposes or for sport.

 AQUEDUCT

pipe, conduit or channel designed to transport water from a remote source.

 AQUIFER

a layer of soil or rock that stores and/or transmits water. A CONFINED AQUIFER is bounded above and below by layers of less permeable material where the saturated thickness is bounded by the both layers. An UNCONFINED AQUIFER is similar, but the saturated thickness is not bounded by an upper layer.

 ARABLE LAND

capable of being cultivated and suitable for crop production.

 AREA-CAPACITY CURVE

graph showing the relation between the surface area of the water in a reservoir, the corresponding volume, and elevation.

 ARID

region where precipitation is so deficient that agriculture is impracticable without irrigation.

 ARTESIAN

an aquifer in which the static water level in a well stands above the top of the aquifer.

 ARTESIAN WELL

a well which taps an artesian aquifer.

 ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE

addition of water to the ground-water reservoir by activities of man.

 A.S.C.E.

American Society of Civil Engineers.

 ASSESSMENT

amount of money a shareholder in a mutual irrigation company pays to the company to cover his portion of the costs of company operations.

 ASSIGN

to transfer all of an interest in personal property.

 ASSIGNMENT

transfer of an unperfected water right from one person or entity to another.

 ASSIMILATION

ability of a body of water to purify itself of pollutants.

 ATTENUATION

term used to describe the slowing, modification or diversion of the flow of water.

 A.W.R.A.

American Water Resources Association.

 A.W.W.A.

American Water Works Association.

 AXIS OF DAM

the vertical plane which traces the centerline of the crest of a dam.

 BACKFLOW

backing up of water in the direction opposite to normal flow.

 BACKWATER

in stream gaging, a rise in stage produced by a temporary obstruction or by the flooding of the stream below.

 BAFFLE

flat board, deflector or similar device constructed or placed in flowing water to reduce turbulance and cause more uniform flow velocities.

 BANK

slope of land adjoining a body of water. With respect to flowing waters, banks are right or left as viewed facing in the direction of the flow.

 BASE FLOW

fair-weather or sustained flow of streams.

 BASELINE DATA

quantitative level or value from which other data and observations of a comparable nature are referenced.

 BASIN

geographic area drained by a single major stream--also referred to as DRAINAGE BASIN.

 BED

bottom of a body of water.

 BEDLOAD

material in movement along a stream bottom, or the surface, if by wind.

 BEDROCK

solid rock that lies beneath soil, loose sediments or other unconsolidated material.

 BENCHMARK

1) data used as a base for comparative purposes with comparable data. 2) a permanent physical mark of known horizontal coordinates and elevation.

 BENEFICIAL USE

the purpose to which water diverted under a water right is applied and the amount of that Beneficial Use. Examples include but are not limited to irrigation (amounts measured in acres); stock watering (amounts measured in numbers of equivalent livestock units); domestic (indoor residential - amounts measured in numbers of equivalent domestic units); and commercial, industrial, municipal (amounts measured in acre-feet).

 BENEFICIAL USE AMOUNT

The amount of Beneficial Use a water right contributes to a Water Use Group that includes the subject water right.

 BERM

narrow ledge or shelf along or extending into a stream channel

 B.I.A.

U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

 B.L.M.

U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Braided stream bed

 BRAIDED STREAM

complex tangle of converging and diverging stream channels separated by sandbars or islands.

 BREACH

opening or a breakthrough in a dam or dike.

 BRINE

water saturated with or containing large amounts of a salt in excess of 35,000 mg/l.

 BROOK

natural stream of water, smaller than a river or creek.

 CALIBRATED WATERSHED

watershed with sufficient precipitation and streamflow measuring devices and records to allow for computations of the relationships between precipitation and streamflow.

 CAMBER

additional material placed on the dam crest to protect design freeboard from anticipated settlement.

 CANAL

constructed open channel for transporting water.

 CAPACITY

1) maximum volume that can be stored in a reservoir below the primary spillway level. 2) the flow of water a well is able to produce per foot of waterlevel drawdown in the well casing. 3) the flow of water a natural stream channel is able to carry in non-flood conditions.

 CAPTURE

decrease in discharge from an aquifer plus the increase in recharge.

 CASING

tubular structure that is installed in the borehole to maintain a well opening.

 CATCHMENT AREA

1) intake area of an aquifer. 2) reservoir or basin developed for flood control or water management for livestock or wildlife.

 CATHODIC PROTECTION

a method of protecting well casings from corrsion.

 CAVITATION

1) process of erosion in a stream channel or conduit caused by sudden collapse of vapor bubbles against the channel wall. 2) wear on a hydraulic structure where a high hydraulic gradient is present.

 CEASE AND DESIST ORDER

a formal written order from the State Engineer to refrain from the continued performance of an illegal act.

 CERTIFICATE

official document that serves as evidence of a perfected water right, which can be recorded with the local County Recorder.

 C.F.S. (cubic foot per second, or second-foot)

a unit of flow measurement equal to one cubic foot per second past a given point, or 448.8 gallons per minute.

 CHAIN

surveyor's measure equal to 66 feet.

 CHAIN OF TITLE

a chronological list of documents comprising the record history of title to a specific parcel of real property.

 CHANGE

process by which a water right is altered with respect to point of diversion, period, place or nature of use.

 CHANGE APPLICATION

an application for permanent or temporary change of a water right as defined in Section 73-3-3.

 CHANNEL

natural or artificial open conduit that periodically or continuously contains moving water, or that forms a connecting link between two bodies of water.

 CHANNELIZATION

straightening and deepening a stream so water will move faster.

 CHECK DAM

small dam constructed in a gully or small watercourse to decrease the streamflow velocity or to divert water from a channel.

 CIPOLETTI WEIR

a weir of trapeziodial design for the measurement of open channel flow.

 CLOSED BASIN

basin without a surface outlet.

 C.O.E.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 COFFERDAM

temporary watertight enclosure that is pumped dry to expose the bottom of a body of water.

 COLLECTION PIPE

conduit used to collect seepage waters from drainage blankets and drains and convey the water to a point downstream of the dam.

 COLORADO RIVER COMPACT

a 1922 agreement among seven states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming and Utah) as to the general allocation of the waters of the Colorado River.

 COMPACT

agreement between states, ratified by Congress, providing for the division and apportionment of waters of an interstate river, aquifer or body of water.

 CONDUIT

1) natural or artificial channel, either open or closed, through which water may be conveyed. 2) closed channel to convey water through, under or around a dam.

 CONE OF DEPRESSION

cone-like depression of the water table formed in the vicinity of a well by withdrawal of water.

 CONFLUENCE

meeting or junction of two or more streams.

 CONJUNCTIVE USE

combined use of surface and ground water systems to optimize resource use and minimize adverse effects of using a single source.

 CONSOLIDATED AQUIFER

aquifer made up of consolidated rock.

 CONSUMPTIVE USE

portion of water withdrawn from a surface or groundwater source that is consumed by particular use(s) and does not return to a natural water source or another body of water.

Contour lines overlaid on an aerial photo

 CONTOUR LINE

line of constant elevation on a map or drawing.

 CONTROL SECTION

section where flow passes through critical depth.

 CONVEYANCE LOSS

loss of water from a conduit due to leakage, seepage, evaporation or evapotranspiration.

 COURSE

route or path taken by flowing water.

 CREST

top of a dam, dike, spillway or weir to which water must rise before passing over the structure.

 CRITICAL DEPTH

depth at which flowing water transitions from tranquil to turbulant flow and vice versa.

 CRITICAL MANANGEMENT AREA

a ground-water basin where water is being withdrawn in excess of the safe yield for which a ground-water management plan is being prepared or is in force.

 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND (CFS)

See C.F.S.

 CURRENT METER

instrument for measuring the velocity of water flowing in a stream, open channel or conduit.

 CUTOFF COLLAR

projecting collar built around the outside of a pipe to lengthen the seepage path along the outer surface of the conduit.

 DAM

artificial barrier or obstruction, together with appurtenant works, if any, which impounds or diverts water.

 DAM INSPECTION

the inspection of a dam to determine safety. Performed by the Dam Safety Section of Division of Water Rights. Federal dams are exempt for state responsibility.

 DEAD STORAGE

water in a reservoir that lies below the lowest outlet and cannot be withdrawn without pumping.

 DECREED RIGHTS

water rights determined by a court decree.

 DECLARATION OF BENEFICIAL USE AMOUNTS (DECLARATION)

either a form provided by the State Engineer, or an alternative document containing the same information, for use by Water Right Holders to declare the Beneficial Use Amount of some or all of the individual water rights in a Water Use Group.

 DEED

written document transferring ownership of land from one person to another.

 DEFORMATION ANALYSIS

a study of how a dam will permanently deform as a result of strains caused by seismic loads.

 DEGRADATION

1) geologic process in which parts of the earth's surface, such as cliffs, rocks and streambeds, disintegrate. 2) removal of channel bed materials and downcutting of natural stream channels.

 DENTAL CONCRETE

concrete used to smooth rough places in dam foundations and abutments.

 DEPENDABLE SUPPLY

water that can be expected to be available at a time and place with the quality demanded.

 DEPLETION

See Consumptive Use.

 DESICCATION

loss of water from pore spaces of sediments through compaction or through evaporation caused by exposure to air; cracking of the soil due to shrinkage during drying.

 DESICCATION CRACKS

surface fractures that can result from the drying of soil or porous sediment ary rock.

 DIKE

an embankment to confine or control water.

 DILIGENCE CLAIM

a claim to the use of surface water where the use was initiated prior to 1903.

 DISALLOWED

the termination of a water right through the adjudication process.

 DISCHARGE

outflow that is measured as the rate at which a volume of water passes a given point in a given period of time.

 DISPERSIVE CLAYS

clays whose particles detach in the presence of water and may be transported by water.

 DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

an administrative unit, established by the State Engineer and supervised by an appointed Water Commissioner, for the distribution of water from the natural source according to the priority date of the respective water rights in a particular area.

 DITCH RIDER

individual responsible for operating structures and distributes water internally within an irrigation project.

 DIVERSION

removal of water from its natural source; turning aside or alteration of the natural course of a flow of water, normally considered physically to leave the natural channel.

 DIVERSION DAM

barrier built to divert part or all of the water from a stream into a different course.

 DIVINING ROD

forked branch or stick that is believed to indicate subterranean water by bending downward when held over a source.

 DIVISION BOX

structure used to divide and direct the flow of water between two or more irrigation ditches.

 DOMESTIC WATER USE

water used for inside household purposes only.

 DOWSER

person who uses a DIVINING ROD.

 DRAFT

water that is diverted.

 DRAIN

Excess collection/control system (surface or groundwater) from which a point of diversion maybe established.

 DRAINAGE AREA

area or watershed that drains naturally to a particular point on a river, stream or creek.

 DRAINAGE BASIN

see BASIN.

 DRAINAGE BLANKET

permeable layer placed directly over the foundation material.

 DRAWDOWN

1) lowering of the surface of a body of water by releases of water. 2) lowering of the elevation of the groundwater table.

 DREDGING

method for deepening streams or other waters by scraping and removing solid materials from the bottom.

 DRIP IRRIGATION

planned irrigation system in which water is applied directly to the root zone of plants by means of applicators operated under low pressure.

 DROP STRUCTURE

physical obstruction placed within a stream channel for the purpose of stabilizing the channel; used to facilitate vertical downward movement of water without causing erosion.

 DROUGHT

period of abnormally dry weather sufficiently prolonged to cause a serious hydrological imbalance.

 DUTY OF WATER

quantity of water, determined by the State Engineer, required to satisfy the irrigation water requirements in a given area; based on the irrigation requirements of alfalfa.

 DYNAMIC ANALYSIS

analysis that predicts the stability and/or deformation of a dam due to seismic loads.

 EFFLUENT

1) something that flows out, such as a stream flowing out of a body of water. 2) discharged wastewater.

 EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)

detailed and formal evaluation of the favorable and adverse environmental and social impacts of a proposed project and its alternatives.

 ELECTION TO FILE A WATER USERS CLAIM

a form used to allow the State Engineer to file proof of appropriation on a water right through the adjudication process.

 ELU (Equivalent Livestock Unit)

a standardized measure related to the watering of various sized livestock. (1 ELU = 1 large animal or 5 medium animals or 33 1/3 small animals)

 EMBANKMENT

artificial deposit of material that is raised above the natural surface of the land and used to contain, divert or store water.

 EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

predetermined plan of action to be taken to reduce the potential for loss of life and property damage in an area affected by a dam break.

 EMERGENCY SPILLWAY

secondary spillway designed to convey excess water generated by unusual hydrological events through, over or around a dam.

 EMINENT DOMAIN

right of a government to appropriate private property for public use.

 ENDANGERED SPECIES

any plant or animal species threatened with extinction by man-made or natural changes throughout all or a significant area of its range.

 E.P.A.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

 EPHEMERAL STREAM

stream that flows only in direct response to precipitation.

 EROSION

wearing away and removal of materials of the earth's crust by natural means. Examples are STREAMBANK and STREAMBED (scouring of material and cutting of channel banks and beds); SHEET (removal of a thin layer by runoff waters); RILL (numerous small channels are formed); GULLY (widening and deepening of small channels).

 ESCARPMENT

steep slope that results from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.

 EVAPOTRANSPIRATION

evaporation of liquid or sublimination of solid water plus transpiration from plants.

 EXCHANGE

1) release of water into a stream, reservoir or other body of water in exchange for a like quantity withdrawn at another point. 2) an application, made to the State Engineer, to facilitate the changing of water used under contract from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or similar entity.

 EXIT CHANNEL

open channel, located downstream from any conduit or spillway, which conducts the flow to a point where it may be released without jeopardizing the dam.

 EXTENSION

request for additional time to complete a water project, submit proof, resume use, submit information, or comply with an administrative proceeding or order. In those cases where the extension request involves the submission or proof: if the application was approved within the last 14 years, no advertising of the request is required; after 14 years, advertising is required.

 FACE

in reference to a structure, the external surface that limits the structure.

 FLASHBOARDS

lengths of timber, concrete or steel placed on the crest of a spillway to raise the water level, but that may be quickly removed in the event of a flood.

 FLOOD

1) temporary rise in streamflow or stage that results in significant adverse effects in the vicinity. 2) an overflow on lands.

 FLOOD PLAIN

relatively flat area bordering a stream or adjoining a body of standing water that may be overflowed during times of high water.

 FLOOD ROUTING

computation of the changes in the rise and fall in stream flow or reservoir levels as a flood moves downstream.

 FLOOD STAGE

stage or elevation in which overflow of the natural banks of a stream or body of water begins.

 FLOW

rate of water discharged from a source given in volume with respect to time.

 FLOW MODEL

see Ground-water Flow Model.

 FLOWING WELL

artesian well having sufficient head to discharge water above the land surface.

 FLOWLINE

lowest point in a water conveyance structure where water can flow.

 FLUME

open artificial channel or chute carrying a stream of water, or as a measuring device.

 FLUVIAL

of or pertaining to rivers and streams.

 FOREBAY

a storage basin, usually adjacent to a larger reservoir, for regulating water; a storage basin for the percolation surface water into groundwater basins.

 FORFEITURE

potential loss of a water right because of seven or more years of non use, usually determined by a court.

 FOUNDATION OF DAM

natural material on which the dam structure is placed.

 FREEBOARD

vertical distance between the design maximum water level and the top of a structure.

 FRICTION LOSS

total energy loss in the flow of water due to friction between the water and walls of a conduit or channel.

 GABION

wire cage, usually rectangular, filled with cobbles and used as a component for water control structures or for channel and bank protection.

 GAGE (GAUGE)

instrument used to measure the elevation of a water surface, velocity of flowing water, or pressure of water.

 GAGING STATION

particular site on a stream, canal, lake or reservoir where systematic observations of height or discharge are obtained.

 GALLERY

permanent accessible structure within the interior of a dam used for seepage collection, monitoring and remedial work.

 GATE

structure or device for controlling the rate of water flow into or from a canal, ditch or pipe.

 GEOHYDROLOGY

branch of hydrology relating to waters below the earth's surface.

 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

generally refers to the USGS.

 GEOMEMBRANE

geosynthetic fabric that is designed to be an impermeable barrier.

 GEOTEXTILE

geosynthetic fabric that is designed to be a filter, a drain, act as reinforcement, or for separation.

 GEOTHERMAL RESOURCE

natural heat energy found below the surface of the earth.

 GIS

Geographic Information System

 GRADE

slope of a stream bed.

 GPS

Global Positioning System

 GRADIENT

degree of incline; slope of a stream bed.

 GRAVITY FLOW

any downhill flow of water generated by the force of gravity.

 GROIN

area along the contact or intersection of the face of a dam with the abutments.

 GROUND-WATER BASIN

groundwater reservoir together with all the overlying land surface and underlying aquifers that contribute water to the reservoir.

 GROUND-WATER FLOW MODEL

digital computer model that calculates a hydraulic head field for the modeling domain using numerical methods to arrive at an approximate solution to the differential equation of ground-water flow.

 GROUND-WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN

a plan promulgated by the State Engineer to control the withdrawal of ground water for the purpose of preventing or correcting ground-water mining.

 GROUND-WATER MINING

see MINING (GROUND WATER).

 GROUND WATER RECHARGE

inflow of water to a ground water reservoir from the surface.

 GROUT CURTAIN

barrier to reduce seepage under a dam.

 GROUT

fluid mixture of cement and water of a consistency that can be forced into a pipe, well or dam foundation and placed as required.

 GUZZLER

manmade rain collection and storage device for watering livestock and wildlife in remote locations.

 HEAD

1) difference in elevation in a pipe between intake and discharge points; a direct indocator of pressure. 2) height difference of the water level at the headworks or upstream point of a waterway, and the water surface at a given point downstream. 3) a measure of the energy in water as a result of its elevation, pressure and velocity.

 HEAD LOSS

decrease in total head caused by friction, a drop in pressure, a lowering of elevation or a decrease in velocity.

 HEADGATE

gate that controls water flow into irrigation canals and ditches.

 HEADWATERS

1) source and upper reaches of a stream or reservoir. 2) small streams that come together to form a river.

 HEAT EXCHANGE

the process that transfers heat from a relatively low-temperature reservoir to one at a higher temperature, usually transfering the heat in ground-water reservoir for the space heating of a building.

 HISTORIC FLOW

flow that has occurred and was, or would have been, recorded at a gaging station.

 HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD

see ONE HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD.

 HYDRAULIC FRACTURING

fracturing of soil materials due to excessive fluid pressures.

 HYDRAULIC HEAD

see HEAD.

 HYDRAULIC HEIGHT

vertical dimension of a dam as measured from the natural streambed at the downstream toe to the elevation of the water surface at the crest of the primary spillway.

 HYDRAULICS

science of the static and dynamic behavior of fluids.

 HYDROGRAPH

graphical representation of discharge, stage, volume, or other hydraulic property of a river, creek, or stream, with respect to time, for a particular location.

 HYDROGRAPHIC SURVEY

1) instrumental survey to measure and determine characteristics of streams and other bodies of water within an area. 2) position and elevation of high water marks. 3) location and depth of wells. 4) the mapping of the places of use of water rights involved in an adjudication proceeding.

 HYDROLOGIC BASIN

see BASIN.

 HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

circuit of water movement from the atmosphere to the earth and return to the atmosphere through various stages or processes such as precipitation, interception, runoff, infiltration, percolation, storage, evaporation and transportation.

 HYDROLOGY

study of the properties, distribution and movement of water on the earth's surface, in the soil and underlying rocks, and in the atmosphere.

 HYDROMETER

instrument used to determine specific gravity, especially a sealed, graduated tube, weighted at one end.

 HYDROPOWER

electric power produced by falling water.

 IMPERMEABLE

unable to transmit water; not easily penetrated.

 IMPERVIOUS

incapable of being penetrated by water.

 IMPOUNDMENT

body of water confined by a dam, dike or other barrier.

 INCIDENTAL RECHARGE

ground water recharge that occurs as a result of human activities unrelated to a recharge project.

 INCREMENTAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT (IDA)

analysis showing the influence of a dam failure when superimposed on an extreme hydrologic event.

 INFILTRATION RATE

rate at which a given soil can accept surface water.

 INFLOW

act or process of flowing, or something that flows, in or into.

 INFLOW DESIGN FLOOD (IDF)

flood hydrograph that is used to size a dam's spillway.

 INJECTION

refers to a system of artificially introducing surface water into the ground water system as a means of storage or recharge.

 INJECTION WELL

injects water directly into a designated aquifer.

 INLET CHANNEL

open channel upstream from a spillway or conduit.

 INSTREAM FLOW

non-consumptive water requirements or uses that do not require diversion from its natural watercourse nor reduce the water supply.

 INTERFERENCE

condition occurring when the area of influence of a water well comes into contact with or overlaps that of a neighboring well.

 INTERMITTENT STREAM

a natural watercourse where the flow stops and starts at intervals .

 INTERNAL EROSION

see PIPING.

 INTERSTATE COMPACT

see COMPACT.

 INTERSTICES

openings or pore spaces in a rock.

 INUNDATION MAP

map showing areas that would be subject to flooding due to storm conditions or failure of a dam.

 IRRECOVERABLE LOSSES

water lost to a salt sink or lost by evaporation or evapotranspiration.

 IRRIGATION

The controlled application of water to land to supplement that supplied by nature.

 JETTY

structure extending into a sea, lake or river to protect the shore or bank.

 JOINT TENANCY

a form of co-ownership by two or more persons in equal shares characterized by the by the incident of survivorship.

 LAPSE

invalidation of a water right application for failure to show proof of beneficial use, meet a deadline, honor a request for further information, comply with conditions set in a State Engineer's Order or for other reasons.

 LATERAL

irrigation conveyance structure intended to convey water away from the main canal or ditch.

 LEACHING

process by which soluble materials in the soil, such as salts, nutrients, chemicals or contaminants are washed into a lower layer of soil or are dissolved and carried away by water.

 LEFT (OR RIGHT) BANK

left- or right-hand side of a stream when the observer faces downstream.

 LEVEE

natural or man-made earthen obstruction along the edge of a stream, lake or river.

 LIQUEFACTION

1) act or process of making or becoming liquid. 2) sudden loss of strength or stiffness of a saturated soil resulting from dynamic loading as from earthquakes.

 LITTORAL

region along the shore of a non-flowing body of water.

 LOAD

amount of solid material that a stream is actually carrying at a given time.

 LOG BOOM

floating device intended to prevent large floating debris from being carried into a spillway.

 LOSING STREAM

stream or reach of a stream that is losing water by seepage into the ground.

 LOW LEVEL OUTLET

conduit from a reservoir, generally used for lowering the reservoir or for providing downstream releases.

 LOWER BASIN STATES (Colorado River Compact)

Arizona, Nevada and California.

 LYSIMETER

instrument used to measure the quantity or rate of downward water movement through a block of soil.

 M & I WATER USE

water supplied for municipal and industrial uses provided through a municipal distribution system.

 MAINSTEM

major reach of a river or stream formed by the smaller tributaries that flow into it.

 MANOMETER

instrument for measuring pressure.

 MAXIMUM CAPACITY

maximum volume of water that can be stored in a reservoir when filled to the crest of the dam.

 M.C.E.

maximum credible earthquake.

 MEAN DEPTH

average depth of water in a stream channel or conduit. It is equal to the cross-sectional area divided by the surface width.

 MEANDER

turn of a stream, either live or cut off; winding of a stream channel.

 MEANDER LINE

line delineated by survey for the purpose of defining the bends or windings of the banks of a stream or lake.

 MEASURING WEIR

shaped notch, typically rectangular, trapezoidal or triangular, through which flowing water is measured.

 METEORIC WATER

ground water derived primarily from precipitation.

 METEOROLOGY

science that deals with the phenomenon of the atmosphere, especially weather .

 MILLRACE

fast-moving stream of water that drives a mill wheel.

 MINER'S INCH

an old term for the rate of discharge through an orifice one inch square under a specific head; in Utah, it equals 0.020 cfs.

 MINING (GROUND WATER)

withdrawal of water from a ground water source at a rate greater than its rate of recharge.

 MITIGATION

action designed to lessen or reduce adverse impacts.

 MODEL

simulation, by descriptive, conceptual, statistical or other means, of a process or thing that is difficult or impossible to observe directly. The concept is to approximate reality by means of a quantifiable process. In this way the mod el may be used to simulate various changes in conditions in a "what if" or predictive framework.

 MOISTURE EQUIVALENT

percentage ratio of weight of water which the soil, after saturation, will retain against a centrifugal force 1,000 times the force of gravity, to weight of the soil when dry.

 MONITOR WELL

well used to measure groundwater levels or obtain water quality samples.

 MORAINE

accumulation of boulders, stones or other debris carried and deposited by a glacier.

 MOVABLE BED

stream bed made up of materials readily transportable by the streamflow.

 MULTIPLE USE

coordinated management of various surface and subsurface resources, without impairment of the land, that will best meet the present and future needs of the people.

 MUNICIPAL DISCHARGE

product resulting from the treatment of sewage and other pollutants by a publicly owned treatment works.

 MUNICIPAL WATER

water used by a municipality within its municipal limits and/or service area.

 NAPPE

free-falling stream from a weir.

 NARROWS

1) water channel with little width that connects two larger bodies of water. 2) part of a river that is not wide.

 NATURAL FLOW

rate of water movement past a specified point on a natural stream from a drainage area for which there have been no effects caused by upstream diversion, storage, import, export or return flow.

 NATURAL RECHARGE

replenishment of groundwater storage from naturally-occurring surface water supplies such as precipitation and stream flows.

 NATURAL RESOURCE

material source of wealth, such as timber, fresh water or a mineral deposit, that occurs in a natural state and has economic value. They are considered NONRENEWABLE when they do not naturally replenish themselves within the limits of human time, or RENEWABLE when they are more or less continuously replenished in the course of natural events within the limits of human time.

 NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE(NRCS)

formerly Soil Conservation Service.

 NATURE CONSERVANCY (The)

an international conservation organization that, through private donations, purchases lands and then either retains ownership or transfers ownership to other conservation groups.

 NAVIGABLE STREAM

a river which is 3 chains (198 feet) or more in width or a lake with a surface area of 25 acres or more.

 NON-CONSUMPTIVE

where water is not consumed during the course of a beneficial use, such as fish culture or hydroelectric power generation.

 NON-POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

pollution discharged over a wide land area, not from one specific location, and carried to lakes and streams by surface runoff.

 NON-POTABLE

water that is not suitable for drinking because of pollutants, contaminants, minerals or infective agents.

 NON-USE

when a water right has not been used for a period of 7 years or more, it is said to be in a state of non-use and can be lost through the abandonment statute. Usually requires a court interpretation, especially where a state owned water right is concerned.

 NON-USE APPLICATION

an application to the State Engineer where the water right holder, anticipating that the water will not be used for 7 years, seeks to protect his water right from forfeiture.

 NONCONSUMPTIVE USE

water withdrawn for use that is not consumed, e.g., hydropower generation, recreation, instream flow.

 NONPOROUS

no void spaces through which water could pass.

 NONPRODUCTION WELL

a well used for the recharging, monitoring and/or testing of an aquifer system, heat exchanging to heat a building.

 NORIA

a type of water wheel with buckets attached to its rim, used to raise water from a stream.

 NORMAL FREEBOARD

vertical distance between the primary spillway overflow crest and the top of the dam.

 N.R.C.S.

see NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE.

 NOTICE OF VIOLATION

a formal written notice from the State Engineer that the noticee is in violation of the law.

 N.W.S.

National Weather Service.

 OBSERVATION WELL

well used to monitor changes in water levels of an aquifer and obtain samples for water quality analyses.

 OBSTRUCTION

includes but not limited to any dam, dike, abutment, excavation, bridge, channelization, culvert, building, fence, rock, fill, structure, vegetation in, across, along or projecting into a watercourse that may alter, impede, retard or change the direction and/or velocity of the flow of water.

 OFFSTREAM USE

water withdrawn or diverted from a ground or surface water source for use at another place.

 ONE HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD

the flood having a one percent probability of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.

 ONE HUNDRED YEAR PRECIPITATION

the precipitation having a one percent probability of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.

 ORIFICE

used for the measurement or control of water, it is an opening with a closed perimeter. It is usually sharp edged and of regular form in a plate, wall or partition through which water may flow.

 OUTFALL

place where a stream discharges; outlet or structure through which reclaimed water or treated effluent is discharged.

 OUTLET

point where water exits from a stream, river, lake or artificial drain.

 OVERDRAFT

see MINING (GROUND-WATER).

Oxbows in a meandering stream

 OXBOW

abandoned meander in a river or stream; used to describe the U-shaped bend in the river.

 PARSHALL FLUME

device used to measure the flow of water in an open channel.

 PARTIAL PENETRATION

well constructed in such a way that it draws water directly from a fractional part of the total thickness of the aquifer.

 PARTICULATES

very small solids suspended in water.

 PEAK FLOW

maximum instantaneous discharge of a stream or river at a given location.

 PENSTOCK

gate or sluice used in controlling the flow of water; a tube or trough for carrying water to a water wheel.

 PERCHED WATER TABLE

water table of a relatively small groundwater body supported above the general groundwater body.

 PERCOLATING WATERS

underground waters whose course and boundaries are incapable of determination.

 PERCOLATION

movement of water within a porous medium without a definite channel; entrance of a portion of the streamflow into the channel materials to contribute to groundwater replenishment; slow seepage of water through a filter.

 PERENNIAL STREAM

stream that flows from source to mouth throughout the year.

 PERFECTED WATER RIGHT

a fully developed water right that has been certificated by the State Engineer, decreed by a court of law, or has been legislated as such; is considered real property.

 PERFORATION OF WELLS

holes in the casing of wells that allow water to flow into the well.

 PERMANENT CHANGE APPLICATION

an application to the State Engineer where a water right holder seeks to permanently change the point of diversion, place of use, period of use, or nature of use of his water right.

 PERMEABILITY

rate that water passes through soil or other materials in a specified direction. It is equal to velocity of flow divided by hydraulic gradient.

 PERVIOUS ZONE

part of the cross section of an embankment dam comprising material of high permeability.

 pH

measure of acidity or alkalinity of water.

 PHREATIC

of or relating to ground water.

 PHREATIC SURFACE

term equivalent to groundwater surface or the water table.

 PIEZOMETER

instrument for measuring pore water pressure within soil, rock or concrete.

 PIPING

progressive development of internal erosion of material by seepage.

 PITOT TUBE

instrument used to measure the velocity of flowing water.

 PLACE OF USE

specific location documented in the water right where the water is to be used.

 PLUMB

weight on the end of a line, used to determine water depth.

 PLUVIAL

having to do with rain.

 POINT DISCHARGE

instantaneous rate of discharge, in contrast to the mean rate for an interval of time.

 POINT OF DIVERSION

point specified in a water right from which water is diverted from a source.

 POINT OF RE-DIVERSION

Refers to a specific point of diversion category in the Utah Division of Water Rights records. A point of re-diversion refers to a diversion point, which diverts water which was previously diverted and released upstream. Usually associated with reservoir storage.

 POINT OF RETURN

Point where water that has been non-consumptively used is returned back to the natural stream.

 POINT SOURCE

stationary or clearly identifiable source of a large individual water or air pollution emission.

 POINT SOURCE POLLUTION

pollutants discharged from any identifiable point, including pipes, ditches, channels, sewers and containers of various types.

 POINT TO POINT DIVERSION

Refers to a specific point of diversion category in the Utah Division of Water Rights records. Point To Point diversions are not developed points of diversion. The reference is to a stream segment from which stock may drink.

 POLLUTION

any introduction into water of microorganisms, chemicals, wastes or wastewater in a concentration that makes the water unfit for its intended use.

 PORE PRESSURE

pressure exerted by water in the void space of soil or rock.

 POROSITY

measure of the water-bearing capacity of a formation.

 POROUS INTERVAL

portion of a piezometer where infiltrating water is allowed to act on the device.

 POTABLE WATER

water that is drinkable.

 POTENTIAL YIELD

maximum rate at which a well will yield water under a stipulated set of conditions.

 POTENTIOMETRIC SURFACE

surface that represents the static head; level to which water will rise in tightly cased wells.

 POWER FILING

filing for electric power generation.

 P.O.T.W.

publicly-owned treatment works; facilities for treatment of domestic sewage.

 PRACTICABLY IRRIGABLE ACREAGE

standard for quantifying reserved water rights on an Indian reservation.

 PRESCRIPTION

1) a legal term for a method of acquisition of title or the use of water by immemorial or long-term continued use; also refered to as positive prescription. 2) a legal term for a time limit beyond which an action, debt, or crime in no longer valid or enforceable; also refered to as negative prescription.

 PRESCRIPTIVE RIGHT

a right sanctioned or authorized by long-standing use.

 PRESSURE GAGE

device for registering the pressure of solids, liquids or gases.

 PRESSURE HEAD

energy contained by fluid because of its pressure.

 PRIMACY

term used to denote the rank of first; state delegated authority by federal government.

 PRINCIPAL SPILLWAY

main spillway for normal operating conditions.

 PRIOR APPROPRIATION DOCTRINE

system for allocating water, used in most western states. "First in time is first in right" means that the first person to take a quantity of water and put it to beneficial use has a higher priority than a subsequent user.

 PRIORITY

concept that the person first using water has a better right to it than those commencing use later.

 PRIORITY DATE

date of establishment of a water right.

 PROBABLE MAXIMUM FLOOD (PMF)

flood that may be expected from the most severe combination of critical meteorologic and hydrologic conditions possible in the region.

 PROBABLE MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION (PMP)

maximum amount of precipitation that could be expected to fall on a drainage under the most severe meteorologic condition.

 PROOF DUE DATE

end of approval period for putting water to beneficial use.

 PROOF OF APPROPRIATION

document that attests to the amount of water withdrawn for the uses specified in the application and that it has been put to beneficial use.

 PROOF OF BENEFICIAL USE

see PROOF OF APPROPRIATION.

 PROOF OF CHANGE

used in same manner as PROOF OF APPROPRIATION only applies to a change application.

 PROTEST

A document that states opposition to the granting of a water right application. There are specific requirements for a protest to have legal standing. See Utah State Code section 73-3-7, 73-3-13, and Rule R655-6.

 PROTESTANT

A person who has filed a protest to the granting of a water right application.

 PROVISIONAL WELL

authorization to drill under a pending, unapproved water right, or for the purpose of determining characteristics of an aquifer; does not allow the water to be utilized.

 PSEUDO STATIC ANALYSIS

approximate method for predicting the dynamic stability of a structure using static loads.

 PUBLIC DOMAIN

all U.S. lands that the federal government obtained from: 1) the original 13 states, 2) the Louisiana purchase, 3) cession from Spain, 4) occupation of the Oregon Territory, 5) Mexican Cession, 6) purchase from Texas, 7) Gadsen Purchase, and 8) purchase of Alaska.

 PUBLIC INTEREST

sometimes vague term which can affect water right applications if they would be contrary to the public interest or public welfare.

 PUBLIC SUPPLY WATER

water withdrawn by and delivered to a public water system regardless of the use made of the water.

 PUMP LIFT

distance between the ground water table and the overlying land surface.

 PUMP TEST

test that is conducted to determine aquifer or well characteristics.

 <>QUANTIFICATION

the process of determining the exact size and limits of a water right, usually in acre-feet per year, based on beneficial use.

 QUICKSAND

sand that is unstable due to the upward pressure and/or flow of water.

 QUIT CLAIM DEED

a form of deed, containing no warranties, conveying the current right, title, and interest of the grantor in, and to, real property.

 RACE

strong or swift current of water; an artificial channel built to transport water.

 RACE NOTICE STATE

where there is a conflict between deeds to a property, states such as Utah will recognize the deed first recorded with the appropriate County Recorder.

 RADIAL FLOW

flow of water in an aquifer toward a vertically oriented well.

 RANGE LINE

in the U.S. Public Land Survey system, the grid lines running north and south.

 RATING CURVE

curve showing the relation between gage height and discharge of a stream at a given gaging station.

 RAW WATER

water direct from the source, ground or surface water, without any treatment.

 REACH (OF RIVER)

generally, any length of river. More specific, a length of channel uniform in discharge depth, area and slope; length of channel for which a single gage affords a satisfactory measure of the stage and discharge; length of river between two gaging stations.

 RECHARGE

introduction of surface or ground water into ground-water storage by natural or artificial means.

 RECHARGE AREA

see RECHARGE ZONE.

 RECHARGE BASIN

surface facility, often a large pond, used to increase the infiltration of surface water into a ground water basin.

 RECHARGE ZONE

land area into which water can infiltrate into an aquifer relatively easily, replenishing the aquifer.

 RECORD

to incorporate into the public records of the County Recorder; also the system of public records imparting constructive notice of title to claims, or interests, in real property.

 RECORDER

mechanical apparatus that records a continuous record of a water level or other hydrologic factors.

 RECYCLED WATER

water that is used more than one time before it passes back into the natural hydrologic system.

 RE-DIVERSION

See POINT OF RE-DIVERSION.

 RED TAG

a formal written order to a well driller to cease operation until a violation of well drilling regulations is resolved.

 REGIMEN

system or order characteristic of a stream; stream that has reached an equilibrium between erosion and deposition.

 REGIONAL ENGINEER

employee of the State Engineer responsible for administering water rights in a particular region of the state.

 REINSTATE

where the State Engineer rescinds his lapsing of an application on petition of the applicant; usually the priority date is reduced to the date of reinstatement.

 REGULATION

artificial manipulation of the flow of a stream.

 RENOVATE/REPLACE

to renovate or replace an existing well that has an existing water right. A replacement well must be within 150 feet of the existing well to qualify as a replacement well. A new well located more than 150 feet but less than 660 feet from the existing well requires a change application but the application does not need to be advertised. A replacement well must include the legal abandonment of the existing well. As the term suggests, the authority to drill a replacement well only allows for replacing an existing well. A change application is required to drill additional wells, or drill a new well without abandoning an existing well.

 REPAIR OF A WELL STRUCTURE

the modification or replacement of the casing, screens, seals, etc. of an existing well.

 REPLACEMENT OF A WELL STRUCTURE

the abandonment of an existing well and the drilling of a new well in its stead.

 RESERVED RIGHTS

category of federal water rights created when the federal government withdraws land from the public domain.

 RESERVED RIGHTS DOCTRINE

legal rule that states when the federal government reserves public lands for a particular purpose, such as a national park, forest or Indian reservation, it also reserves sufficient water to accomplish that purpose, sometimes called the Winters Doctrine.

 RESERVOIR

pond, lake or basin, either natural or artificial, for the storage, regulation and control of water.

 RESERVOIR AREA

surface area of a reservoir when filled to a given water elevation.

 RESERVOIR STAGE

measure of the depth or elevation of water in a reservoir relative to an established datum.

 RESIDUAL FREEBOARD

vertical distance between the maximum water surface during a given hydrologic event and the top of the dam.

 RESPONSE SPECTRUM

graphical representation of actual motions, including displacement, velocity and acceleration, caused by seismic events.

 RETURN

See POINT OF RETURN.

 RETURN FLOW

part of a diverted flow that is not consumptively used and returns to its original source or another body of water.

 RETURN SEEPAGE

water that percolates from canals and irrigated areas to underlying strata, raising the groundwater level, and eventually returning to natural channels.

 REUSE

water that is discharged by one use and placed to another before leaving the physical control of the water right holder.

 REVETMENT

facing of stone, concrete or sandbags used to protect a bank of earth from erosion; a retaining wall.

 RIFFLE

shallow rapids in an open stream.

 RIGHT OF SURVIVORSHIP

the right to succeed to the interest of a deceased.

 RIPARIAN

pertaining to the banks of a river, stream, or other body of water as well as to plant and animal communities along such bodies of water.

 RIPARIAN DOCTRINE

system for allocating water in the eastern United States, which gives owners of land along a stream or river an absolute prerequisite to a right to use water from that body of water.

 RIPRAP

layer of large stones, broken rock, or precast blocks placed on the upstream slope of an embankment dam, on a reservoir shore, or on the sides of a channel, as a protection against waves, ice, and scour.

 RISK ASSESSMENT

qualitative and qauntitative evaluation performed in an effort to define the risk posed to human health and/or the environment.

 RIVER BASIN

term used to designate the area drained by a river and its tributaries.

 RIVER COMMISSIONER

see WATER COMMISSIONER

 ROD

surveyor's measurement equal to 16.5 feet.

 ROUTING

1) derivation of an outflow hydrograph of a stream from known values of upstream flow, using the wave velocity and/or storage equation. 2) technique used to compute the effect of channel storage and channel movement on the shape and movement of a flood wave through a river reach.

 RUNOFF

precipitation, snow melt or irrigation water that appears in surface streams or rivers.

 SAFE YIELD

the amount of groundwater that can be withdrawn from a groundwater basin over a period of time without exceeding the long term recharge of the basin or unreasonably affecting the basin's physical and chemical integrity.

 SALINE

term used to describe waters containing common salt, or sodium chloride.

 SALTS

a common term for minerals that water picks up as it passes through the air, over and under the ground, and through household and industrial uses.

 SALVAGED WATER

an obsolete term for a part of a particular stream or other water supply that is saved from loss, in respect to quantity or quality, and is retained and made available for use.

 SATURATED FLOW

liquid flow of water in soils that occurs when the soil pores in the wettest part of the soil are completely filled with water and the direction of flow is from the wettest zone of higher head to one of lower head.

 SATURATED ZONE

subsurface area in which all pores and cracks are filled with water under pressure greater than the atmosphere.

 SATURATION POINT

point at which a soil or an aquifer will no longer absorb any amount of water without losing an equal amount.

 SCOUR

erosive action of running water in streams, which excavates and carries away material from the bed and banks.

 SEAL

an impermeable material placed in the annular space between the outermost water well casing and the drill hole to prevent inflow and movement of surface water or shallow ground water.

 SECOND-FEET

see C.F.S.

 SECTION

unit of land area, generally equal to one square mile or 640 acres. Thirty- six sections comprise a township.

 SECTION 404

that section of the Clean Water Act delineating restrictions on dredging and filling of wetlands, and disruption of beds and banks of streams.

 SEDIMENT

deposition of eroded materials carried by the waters of streams or lakes.

 SEDIMENT LOAD

total sediment, including bedload, being moved by flowing water in a stream at a specified cross section.

 SEDIMENT POOL

portion of a reservoir allotted to the accumulation of submerged sediment during the design life of the dam.

 SEEPAGE

slow movement of water through small cracks or pores of a material into or out of a body of surface or subsurface water; loss of water by infiltration into the soil from a canal, ditches, laterals, reservoir or other body of water.

 SEEPS

a spring having a very small discharge rate.

 SEGREGATION

to split an existing water right into one or more separate water rights.

 SEISMIC

pertains to an earthquake or earth vibration.

 SETTLING BASIN

enlargement in the channel of a stream to permit the settling of materials carried in suspension.

 SEWAGE REUSE

the capture of treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant before it leaves the control of the water right holder for the purpose of placing it to additional uses.

 SHALLOW WELL

well with a pumping head of 30 feet or less.

 SHARE

stock in a mutual irrigation company. Many irrigation companies exist in Utah which own water rights used by their share holders. The amount of water the company allows each share holder to divert is usually determined by the company stock shares owned or rented. Shares in an irrigation company are not water rights. The company collectively owns the water right(s), the benefits from which are distributed to the share holders. This is evidence of the holder's right to a portion of the water delivered by the company.

 SHEET EROSION

removal of thin, fairly uniform layer of soil or materials from the land surface by the action of rainfall and runoff water.

 SHERRIFF'S DEED

conveyance of title to a debtor's property as a consequence of an execution sale.

 SHOAL

shallow place in a body of water.

 SIERRA CLUB

national environmental organization founded in 1892.

 SILT

sedimentary particles smaller than sand particles, but larger than clay particles.

 SILTATION

deposition of finely divided soil and rock particles upon the bottom of stream and river beds and in reservoirs.

 SINKHOLE

depression in the earth's surface caused by dissolving of underlying limestone, salt or gypsum.

 SITE IDENTIFICATION (USGS)

15-digit number based on the grid system of latitude and longitude. First six digits denote degrees, minutes and seconds of latitude; next seven digits denote degrees, minutes and seconds of longitude; and the last two digits identify sites within a 1-second grid.

 SKIMMING

diversion of water from a stream or conduit by a shallow overflow.

 SLOPE PROTECTION

protection of an embankment slope against wave action or erosion.

 SLOUGH

place of deep mud or mire; wet or marshy place; side channel or inlet as from a river.

 SLUICE

artificial channel for conducting water, with a valve or gate to regulate the flow; body of water impounded behind a floodgate.

 SLUMP

sliding or gravitational movement of an overlying layer of soil, typically from becoming saturated, and lying on a rock layer or other impermeable layer.

 SLURRY WALL

material placed vertically in the ground to prevent the lateral movement of groundwater.

 SMALL DAM

a dam inpounding 20 acre-feet or less, or 18 feet or less in height. Generally, used for overnight storage ponds or sprinkler pressurizing ponds.

 SNOW SURVEY

process or operation of determining the depth, water content and density of snow at various selected points for the purpose of forecasting subsequent runoff.

 SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT

amount of water that would be obtained if the snowpack was melted.

 SNOWMELT

net decrease in water equivalent of the snowpack after allowing for increases due to precipitation.

 SOLE SUPPLY

the amount of Beneficial Use allowed under a particular water right when used alone and separate from all Supplemental Rights. If a water right has been assigned to more than one Water Use Group, the Sole Supply of the water right is the sum of its Beneficial Use Amounts.

 SOLUTE

any material that is dissolved in another.

 SOUNDING

measuring the depth of water.

 SPILLWAY

open or closed channel, conduit or drop structure used to convey excess water past a dam.

 SPRING

concentrated discharge of ground water coming out at the surface as flowing water.

 SPRINKLER IRRIGATION

pressurized irrigation system where water is distributed through pipes and applied through a variety of sprinkler heads or nozzles.

 STAFF GAGE

graduated scale used to indicate the height of the water surface in a stream channel, reservoir or lake.

 STAGE

height of a water surface above some established reference point at a given location.

 STANDARD OPERATING PLAN

written procedure outlining the operation and maintenance of a dam and its appurtenant structures and equipment.

 STANDPIPE

large vertical pipe 1) into which water is pumped in order to produce a desired pressure or 2) from which water is allowed to flow to relieve excess pressure in a pipe network.

 START CARD

an intention to drill card supplied by the applicant to the driller to be submitted to the agency when the driller starts construction.

 STATE ENGINEER

official charged with the administration of water appropriation and distribution within the state.

 STATIC HEAD

difference in elevation in feet between the water surface of the body of water being pumped and the centerline of the discharge pipe at the point of release.

 STATIC LEVEL

stabilized water level in a nonpumped well beyond the area of influence of any pumping well.

 STEADY STATE

equilibrium condition in which the flow in equals the flow out.

 STILLING BASIN

open structure or excavation at the foot of an overfall, chute, drop or spillway to dissipate excess energy of the descending stream or water emerging from a spillway or outlet.

 STOCK CERTIFICATE

a certificate issued by an irrigation company representing ownership in the assets of the company including water rights. An ASSESSMENT is required, based on shares owned, to pay the operating expenses of the company.

 STOCK POND

impoundment, the principal purpose of which is to supply water to livestock.

 STOPLOGS

beams placed on top of each other across a channel with their ends held in guides on each side of a channel or conduit to raise the upstream water level.

 STORAGE

water artificially impounded in surface or underground reservoirs for future use; water naturally detained in a drainage basin.

 STORAGE CAPACITY

volume of water that can be stored at the elevation of the primary spillway, including both active and dead storage.

 STREAM ALTERATION

to obstruct, diminish, destroy, alter, modify, relocate or change the natural existing shape of the channel.

 STREAM CHANNEL

natural water course of perceptible extent with definite beds and banks that confines and conducts continuously flowing water.

 STREAM GAGING

quantitative determination of stream flow using gages, current meters, weirs or other measuring instruments at selected locations.

 STREAM GAGING STATION

gaging station where a continuous record of the discharge of a stream is obtained.

 STREAM REGIMEN

condition of a stream and its channel as it relates to erosive characteristics. It is "in regimen" if its channel has reached a stable form as the result of its flow characteristics.

 STREAMBED

channel through which a natural stream of water runs or used to run.

 STREAMFLOW

discharge that occurs in a natural channel.

 STRUCTURAL HEIGHT

vertical dimension of a dam as measured from the natural streambed at the downstream toe of a dam to the top of a dam.

 SUBLIMATION

change of a solid to a vapor (or the reverse) without the appearance of a liquid state.

 SUBSIDENCE

sinking of an area of the earth's surface due to compaction of the underlying material.

 SUPPLEMENTAL RIGHT

a water right that is used together with one or more other water rights for a common Beneficial Use.

 SURFACE SUPPLY

water supply from streams, lakes and reservoirs.

 SURFACE WATER

all waters whose surface is naturally exposed to the atmosphere, e.g., rivers, lakes, reservoirs, impoundments, springs.

 SURPLUS WATER

developed water supplies in excess of contract entitlement or apportioned water.

 SURVEY MARKER

permanent physical mark on a dam or appurtenant structure used to measure changes in horizontal and vertical movement.

 SUSTAINED YIELD

see SAFE YIELD.

 TAIL WATER

water immediately downstream from a structure; water that reaches the lower end of a field.

 TAILINGS

waste material remaining after metal is extracted from ore.

 T.D.S.

total dissolved solids.

 TEMPORARY APPLICATION

an application to appropriate or change water which, if approved, is good for one year.

 TENANCY IN COMMON

a form of co-ownership of property by two or more persons in undivided interest.

 TERMINATED

the ending of a water right by an order of the court.

 TEST BORINGS

holes drilled to determine the type and physical properties of subsurface materials.

 TEST WELL

well hole drilled for experimental or exploratory purposes.

 THALWEG

subsurface, groundwater stream percolating beneath and in the general direction of a surface stream; lowest thread along the axial part of a valley.

 TILTING GATE

hinged gate counterbalanced by weights that automatically opens and closes with a change in head.

 TIME OF CONCENTRATION

time required for water to flow from the farthest point on the water shed to the gaging station or other point of interest.

 TOE OF DAM

junction of a dam face with the foundation. For an embankment dam, the junction of the upstream face with ground surface is called the upstream toe--the downstream junction is called the downstream toe.

 TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS

maps with lines showing a region's relief and position of natural and man-made features.

 TOTAL HEAD

energy contained by fluid because of its pressure, velocity and elevation.

 TOTAL STORAGE

volume of storage below the maximum designed water surface level, including dead storage.

 TOTALIZING METER

water measuring device that registers or accumulates total volume resulting from a flow.

 TOWNSHIP

territorial subdivision six miles long by six miles wide; contains 36 sections.

 TOWNSHIP LINE

in the U.S. Public Land Survey system, the grid lines running east and west.

 TRACT

an expanse of land or water.

 TRANSITION ZONE

zone of material used to provide filter requirements between two zones of material which do not meet filter requirements.

 TRANSMISSIVITY

ability of an aquifer to transmit water; values are given in gallons per minute through a vertical section of an aquifer one foot wide and extending the full saturated height of an aquifer.

 TRANSPIRATION

process by which water escapes from a living plant.

 TRANSPORT

conveyance of solutes and particles in flow systems.

 TRASH RACK

screen located at an intake to prevent entry of floating or submerged debris .

 TREMIE

device used to place concrete or grout under water.

 TREMIE PIPE

device that carries materials to a designated depth in a drill hole or annular space.

 TRIBUTARY

stream that joins another stream or body of water.

 TURBID

water containing suspended matter that interferes with the passage of light through the water or in which visual depth is restricted.

 TURBULENCE

state of fluid flow in which instantaneous velocities exhibit irregular and apparently random fluctuations.

 UNAPPROPRIATED WATER

public water of the state in streams, rivers, lakes, springs or groundwater in excess of that necessary to satisfy prior existing water rights.

 UNCONFINED AQUIFER

aquifer containing water that is not under pressure; water level in a well is the same as the water table outside the well.

 UNDERGROUND WATER CLAIM

a claim to the use of underground water where the use was initiated prior to 1935.

 UNGATED OUTLET

outlet that allows uncontrolled flow through or around a dam.

 UNIT HYDROGRAPH

hydrograph that shows the rates at which runoff occurs for one inch of storm runoff from a drainage area.

 UPLIFT

upward water pressure in the pores of a material or on the base of a structure.

 UPPER BASIN STATES (Colorado River Compact)

Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

 U.S.B.R.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

 U.S.F.S.

U.S. Forest Service.

 U.S.F.W.S.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 U.S.G.S. (U. S. Geological Survey)

agency established in 1879. The Water Resources Division is involved in data gathering, interpretation, analysis and research.

 V-NOTCH

type of weir for gaging discharge in small streams; narrow ravine or valley.

 VADOSE ZONE

zone containing water under less than atmospheric pressure. It extends from land surface to the zone of saturation or water table.

 VELOCITY

time rate of motion; distance traveled in a unit of time, usually in feet per second.

 VENTURI METER

meter for measuring flow of water; consists of a closed conduit that gradually contracts to a throat, causing a pressure head by which the velocity may be determined.

 VESTED WATER RIGHT

a legal term for a certificated or perfected water right.

 VORTEX

revolving mass of water that forms a whirlpool.

 WARRANTY DEED

a deed containing express covenants as to good title and right to possession.

 WATER COMMISSIONER (also referred to as RIVER COMMISSIONER)

an employee of the State Engineer charged with distributing water from its natural source to water right holders within an established distribution system.

 WATER CYCLE

cycle of evaporation and condensation that controls the distribution of the Earth's water as it evaporates from bodies of water, condenses, precipitates and returns to those bodies of water.

 WATER DUTY

see DUTY OF WATER.

 WATER EXPORTS

water that is appropriated from sources within the state of Utah and used outside the state.

 WATER MARKETING

the trading of water rights in an open market.

 WATER PURVEYOR

anyone who sells drinking water to the public, usually the owner of a public water supply system.

 WATER QUALITY

term used to describe the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water in respect to its suitability for a particular purpose.

 WATER RIGHT

the right to use water diverted at a specific location on a water source, and putting it to recognized beneficial uses at set locations.

 WATER SHARE

see SHARE.

 WATER SUPPLIER

one who owns or operates a public water system.

 WATER TABLE

upper surface of a saturated zone, where the body of ground water is not confined by an overlying impermeable formation.

 WATER USE GROUP

one or more water rights listed and assigned a unique number in the records of the State Engineer as being applied to a common Beneficial Use.

 WATER USERS CLAIM

a claim to the use of water which is submitted to the court in connection with an adjudicative procedure.

 WATER WITCH

person who predicts the presence of underground water with hand-held tools such as forked twigs or metal rods.

 WATER YEAR

generally, October 1 through September 30. It is designated by the calendar year in which it ends.

 WATERCOURSE

any natural or artificial channel through which water flows at least periodically.

 WATERMARK

mark showing the greatest height to which water has risen.

 WATERMASTER

person hired by a group of water right holders or a water company to distribute and oversee available water supplies.

 WATERSHED

all lands enclosed by a continuous hydrologic drainage divide and lying upsl ope from a specified point on a stream.

 WATERSTOPS

strips of material used to prevent leakage through joints between adjacent sections of concrete.

 WEIR

device for determining the quantity of water flowing over it.

 WEIR BOX

wooden or concrete box oblong in shape and open at both ends, set lengthwise in a canal and in which a weir is set crosswise.

 WELL

horizontal or vertical excavation or opening into the ground made by digging , boring, drilling, jetting or driving for utilizing or monitoring underground waters.

 WELL CAPACITY

maximum rate at which a well will yield water under given conditions

 WELL DEVELOPMENT

application of a surging or brushing process to a well to draw fine material from the aquifer and increase its discharge capacity.

 WELL DRILLER

any person duly licensed that constructs a well for compensation or otherwise.

 WELL DRILLING

act of drilling, constructing, repairing, renovating or deepening, cleaning, developing or abandoning a well.

 WELL DRILLING RIG OPERATOR

a person who physically operates well drilling equipment under the direction of a licensed well driller.

 WELL FIELD

tract of land that contains a number of wells for supplying a large municipality, irrigation district or a heat exchange system.

 WELL INTERFERENCE

effects of neighboring pumping wells on the discharge and drawdown at a particular pumping well.

 WELL LOG

official report of well construction submitted by well drillers which includes a description of the various formations and rock materials and the depths at which they are encountered.

 WELLHEAD

1) source of a well or stream. 2) physical structure, facility, or device at the land surface from or through which ground water flows or is pumped from subsurface, water-bearing formations.

 WET LINE

length of sounding line below the water surface when measuring the depth of a lake or stream.

 WETLANDS

those areas that are inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency administer the Section 404 permit program.

 WILDERNESS

undeveloped land and associated water resources, without permanent improvements or human habitation, which is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition.

 WING WALL

side walls of a structure used to prevent sloughing of banks or channels and to direct and confine bank material.

 WINTERS DOCTRINE

U.S. Supreme Court 1908 decision that established the doctrine of federal reservation rights.

 ZONE OF INFLUENCE

area surrounding a pumping well within which the water table has been changed due to ground water withdrawal.

 ZONE OF SATURATION

underground region within which all openings are filled with water; top of the zone is called the water table.