Terms & Conversions

Home

Company Profile

Sample Projects

Success Stories

Resume

Suggested Reading

Contact Us

Terms & Conversions

Webmail

Terms and Conversions

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Acre-foot	The volume of water required to cover one (1) acre of land to a depth of one (1) foot.
adjudication	The legal process of determining the relative right to claim use of an amount of water in a drainage basin by the issuance of a judicial decree establishing priority.
alluvium	a deposit of sand, mud, etc. formed by the erosional and depositional processes of lowing water.
appropriation	the establishment of a water right by the diversion and application of water to a beneficial use.
aquifer	a geologic formation capable of yielding a significant amount of ground water to wells or springs.
augmentation plan	a detailed program to increase the supply of water available for diversion; required under Colorado water regulations as a means of requiring the release of water to prevent injury of water rights by out-of-priority diversions
	Top of Page

beneficial use	the use of water that is appropriate under reasonably efficient practice to accomplish, without waste, the purpose for which the diversion was made.
	Top of Page

compact	a contract between two or more states, defining the water use rights of each state on an interstate stream
conjunctive use	the integration of ground water and surface water supplies to increase the total effective water supply
consumptive use	the amount of water consumed during use of the water and no longer available to the stream system.
	Top of Page

decree	a judicial order substantiating a water right; its priority, amount, use and location
diversion	the removal of water from its natural course or location.
drainage basin	an area of land which drains to a common point along a stream channel
	Top of Page

EA/EIS	Environmental Analysis/Environmental Impact Statement - the projected effect on the social, economic and natural environment from a proposed project.
effluent	wastewater or other liquid flowing out of a reservoir, settling basin or treatment plant.
enlargement	a subsequent right awarded to a ditch or structure enlarging the amount granted originally
environmental liability	the legal obligation to clean up original environmentally damaged or polluted surroundings
ET	Evapotranspiration - the combined process by which water is transferred from the earth's surface to the atmosphere, by evaporation and plant transpiration.
	Top of Page

flume	an artificial channel or trough for conducting water
404 Permit	a permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers based on guidelines for water discharge set out by t he Environmental Protection Agency; includes storm water runoff, process wastewater, municipal wastewater, and also applies to the replacement of fill materials in a stream as in dam construction.
	Top of Page

ground water	water below ground surface filling openings in soils and geologic formations
	Top of Page

hydrology	the science of the properties, distribution and movement of water
	Top of Page

inclusion agreement	an agreement establishing the terms under which an entity is included into a municipality or special district.
intrastate	existing or occurring within a state.
interstate	connecting or jointly involving two or more states
intervener	any group or person actively interfering in the progress of a project for emotional, environmental or other reasons and a key member in negotiating a timely settlement to allow project completion.
	Top of Page

land application	disposal of wastewater and waste solids onto land
lysimeter	an instrument used for determining the amount of water consumed by natural vegetation or agricultural crops.
	Top of Page

mitigation	to make less severe; in environmental work, the rehabilitation or replacement of areas to lessen the impact of development projects
modeling	refers to the computer simulation of a physical situation to determine the response to certain stresses (e.g. diversions, recharge).
	Top of Page

NPDES	National Pollution Discharge Elimination System - taken from a section of the Federal Clean Water Act; NPDES is the mechanism for applying effluent standards, water quality standards, and monitoring requirements. EPA is authorized to issue a permit to any applicant whose discharge meets federal requirements.
nontributary ground water	ground water not hydrologically connected to a surface stream; withdrawal of which will not deplete the flow of a natural stream at an annual rate of greater than one-tenth of one percent of the annual rate of withdrawal over a one hundred year period (Colorado).
not nontributary ground water
	Top of Page

perfection of a water right	the process of meeting all of the legal requirements for establishing a legal right to the use of water, once perfected, a conditional water right becomes absolute.
pre-213 right	a right to use ground water initiated prior to July 6, 1973, which is subject to the appropriation system, rather than landownership (Colorado), from Senate Bill 213.
phreatophytes	water tolerant plants frequently associated with wetlands, i.e. cottonwood trees, willows and cattails.
priority	the relative seniority by date that the water right is entitled to divert in relation to other water rights deriving their supply from a common source.
	Top of Page

recharge	the process, natural or artificial, of adding water to underground storage.
rapid infiltration	the process of disposing of treated wastewater through controlled structures into the ground.
return flow	that portion of diverted water which is not consumed but returns to the stream system.
reuse	subsequent use of reclaimed (treated) wastewater for potable or non-potable use.
	Top of Page

Senate Bill 5	A 1985 Colorado legislative enactment providing for allocation of nontributary ground water on the basis of ownership of the overlying land
special district	quasi-municipal corporation of the State of Colorado empowered to perform and deliver services to the owners of property located within a legally described boundary.
specific yield	the ratio of the volume of water draining out of a volume of material to the total volume of material drained; used to calculate the quantity of water recoverable from underground storage.
surface water	water in or from a natural stream
	Top of Page

tap	the physical connection for water or sewer service
transpiration	to emit a watery vapor through the leaves of a plant
	Top of Page

water right

a right to use a certain portion of waters

absolute	a water right that has been perfected and placed to beneficial use
conditional	a right to perfect a water right, upon diligent completion of the appropriation

weir

wetland

Xeriscape
	Top of Page