Glossary and Acronyms

Algae

 Aquatic non flowering plants, can range in size from planktonic to very large.

Algal Bloom

Occurs when algae growth is extremely fast, and colours a body of water green and takes up a large area of the water surface. The bloom grows quickly because of a change in environmental conditions such as additional nutrients in the water (eutrophication) from wastewater and other non-point sources. Algal blooms can result in oxygen depletion and other impacts such as fish kills.

AnnAgNPS

Annualized Agriculture Non-Point Source

ANSI

Area of Natural and Scientific Interest

Anthropogenic

Caused or produced by humans (e.g., certain types of pollution)

AOC

Area of Concern. A location in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Basin that has been identified as severlely degraded. The area fails to meet water quality objectives listed in the Great Lakes Water Qualiy Agreement and local delisting criteria.  A total of 43 AOCs were identified as a result of Annex 2 of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

Aquatic

Describing organisms or features that grow in, on and in the general area around water, and require water for survival.  

Area in Recovery (AIR)

An area, originally identified as an AOC, where, based on community and government consensus, all scientifically feasible and economically reasonable actions have been implemented and additional time is required for the environment to recover.

Bathymetry

The measurement of the depths of large bodies of water (e.g., lakes, oceans)

BCS

Biodiversity Conservation Strategy

Beneficial Use

The ability of living organisms (including humans) to use the Detroit River (or another location within the Great Lakes Basin) without adverse consequences. When a beneficial use is deemed impaireed or does not meet the delisting criteria, it is referred to as a beneficial use impairment or BUI.

Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI)

A Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) is a condition that interferes with the enjoyment of a water use, and can cause any of the following: ….. The Canada-United States Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) identifies 14 beneficial uses that must be restored in order to remove the designation as an Area of Concern. Each BUI has a set of locally defined delisting criteria that are specific, measurable, achievable, and scientifically defensible.

Benthos

Invertebrate communities that spend (at least) a portion of their life cycle at the bottom of lakes, streams and rivers.

Bioassay

A method of analysis performed to measure the effects of a substance on a living organism

Biomagnification

The increase of a substance or contaminant in a food web that occurs in a food chain. Eventually, organisms that sit higher in a food chain will have an increased level of contamination in their tissues.

BMPs

Best Management Practices

BSC

Bird Studies Canada

Carapace

The shell covering some, or all of, the dorsal (back) part of an animal such as a turtle.

CAW

Canadian Auto Workers

CEA

Citizens Environmental Alliance

cfu

Colony Forming Units. Used in bacteriological analyses.

Cloverleaf

A road arrangement, resembling a four-leaf clover form, for permitting easy traffic movement between two intersecting high-speed highways.

COA

Canada Ontario Agreement

COFSP

Canada Ontario Farm Stewardship Program

CSO

Combined Sewer Overflow.  One type of sewage collection system designed to collect sewage as well as surface runoff. During extreme weather events such as significant rainfall, combined sewers can cause water pollution to a local water body when the liquid captured in the system exceeds the local sewage treatment plant capacity. Often the excess water will flush through the system into a nearby river or other water body untreated. Water pollution happens as the surface water collects oil, grease, pesticides, pet and wildlife waste and other chemicals.

CWS

Canadian Wildlife Service

DDE

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene. A persistent, long lasting chemical that is produced on the breakdown of DDT.

DDT

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. A persistent, long lasting chemical that was used as an insecticide until it was banned in Canada and the U.S. in the 1970s.

Delisting

Removal of an AOC from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern by meeting the criteria for the restoration of beneficial uses as defined by the RAP and agreed upon by the agencies and community.

DFO

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

DRCC

Detroit River Canadian Cleanup

DRCCC

Detroit River Canadian Cleanup Committee

DRDIS

Detroit River Delisting and Information System

DRE

Detroit River Evening

Dredging

The process of scooping out sediment or mud, weeds, rubbish and anything else that is at the bottom of a waterbody. Material is typically removed to accommodate shipping channels and is disposed of elsewhere.

Drinking Water

A water supply that is fit to drink for human consumption (potable) that is treated or untreated. The Detroit River is the drinking water source for many people who live in the watershed.

E. coli

E. scherichia coli )bacterium)

ECCC

Environment and Climate Change Canada

ECFN

Essex County Field Naturalists Club

ECSN

Essex County Stewardship Network

Effluent

 the outflow of wastewater from any water processing system or plant, discharged usually into a natural flowing river after treatment takes place.

EFP

Environmental Farm Plan

Electrofishing

A method of fish sampling by using electricity to stun fish before they are collected. When performed correctly, this method does not permanently harm fish.

EMRB

Environmental Monitoring and Reporting Branch

EPI

Education and Public Involvement Work Group (DRCC)

ERCA

Essex Region Conservation Authority

ERNHSS

Essex Region Natural Heritage System Strategy

Eutrophic

A description of a body of water (lake, river, stream) that has poor water quality due to large amounts of nutrients, resulting in excessive algal growth. The opposite of oligotrophic.

Eutrophication

An increased level of nutrients (typically nitrate and phosphate) in a waterbody which can result in algae growth or bloom. This can then lead to decreased oxygen in the water and possibly fish kills. Often eutrophication is caused by natural erosion and surface runoff.

EWSWA

Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority

Fry

A young or recently hatched fish.

Genotoxic

Poisonous substance which harms an organism by damaging its DNA.

Geosmin

A naturally occurring chemical produced by blue-green algae and released when they die. When it is present, it gives water an unpleasant earthy taste or odour.

GIS

Geographic Information System

GLAP

Great Lakes Action Plan

GLIER

Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research

GLNPO

Great Lakes National Program Office

GLSF

Great Lakes Sustainability Fund

GLWQA

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

Habitat

A place within a larger ecosystem with specific environmental conditions where organisms, populations or communities live, feed and reproduce.

HEC

Huron to Erie Corridor (also called St. Clair – Detroit River System)

Histological

Of, or relating to, the study of tissues.

IBI

Index of Biotic Integrity

IJC

International Joint Commission

Indicator Species

Helps to define a characteristic of the environment, is often more sensitive and can sometimes act as an early warning to scientists conducting monitoring projects in their habitat range. For example, the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup monitors Brown Bullhead as an indicator species to the presence or absence of pollution in the sediments of the river, as they spend their entire lifecycle foraging in the mud and feeding off the benthic community who begin their life there.

LaMPs

Lake wide Management Plans

LE

Lake Erie

Lil’Reg

Little River Enhancement Group

LOEL

Lowest Observable Effect Level

M&R WG

Monitoring and Research Work Group (DRCC)

Macroinvertebrate

An invertebrate (lacks a spine) that is visible to the naked eye (e.g., mussels, crayfish, mayflies).

Macrophyte

An aquatic plant that grows in or near water. Macrophytes provide habitat for fish, produce oxygen, and can act as a food source for some animals.

MDEQ

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

MDNR

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Mesotrophic

A description of a body of water (lake, river, and stream) that is intermediate between oligotrophic and eutrophic. These bodies of water have moderate level of nutrients and algae production

MIB

Methylisoborneol. An organic chemical with a strong musty odour produced by blue-green algae. Related to taste and odour problems in drinking water.

MISA

Municipal/Industrial Strategy for Abatement

Monotypic

Only one species of a plant or animal.

MP

Member of Parliament

MPP

Member of Provinciap Parliament

NOEL

No Observable Effect Level

Non-Point Source Pollution

A type of pollution that does not have an obvious point at which it is entering water (e.g., stormwater runoff, failed septic systems, runoff from parking lots).  Abbreviated as NPS. This is caused by surface water moving over and through the ground, typically from snow and rain. The surface runoff will carry away natural and human made pollutants, which eventually flow into rivers, lakes, wetlands and other water bodies. Non-point source pollution can include fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, oil, grease, chemicals, salt, acid drainage from mining sites, bacteria, and sediment from erosion. Non-point source can cause water quality problems which can impact drinking water sources and habitat for aquatic organisms.

NSERC

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Oligotrophic

A description of a body of water (lake, river, stream) that has good water quality due to low amounts of nutrients and low algal growth. The opposite of eutrophic.

OMAFRA

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

OMNR

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources

OMNRF

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

OMOE

Ontario Ministry of the Environment

OMOECC

Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

OMOH

Ontario Ministry of Health

Oocyte

Such as the cryptosporidium oocyte. A cyst produced by a parasite that is resistant to harsh environmental conditions but can germinate once ingested and cause illness

OWWRC

Ontario Water Works Research Consortium

PAC

Public Advisory Council (DRCC)

PAH

Abbreviation for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon. A byproduct of the incomplete burning of coal.

Part per billion (ppb)

A unit describing the concentration of a substance in water. 1 ppb is equal to 1 microgram in a litre.

Part per million (ppm)

A unit describing the concentration of a substance in water. 1 ppm is equal to 1 milligram in a litre.

Part per trillion (ppt)

A unit describing the concentration of a substance in water. 1 ppt is equal to 1 nanogram in a litre.

PCB

Polychlorinated biphenyl. Is an organic chlorine compound that were commonly used in electrical equipment in the past, but were banned in Canada in the 1970s. PCBs are persistent in the environment, as they do not break down easily on their own, and are difficult to destroy. They can accumulate in an organism’s tissue, and bioaccumulate through the food chain.

Phenology

The study of the influences (seasonal or interannual) on animal life cycle events (e.g., migration, date of egg laying).

Point source

A type of pollution that comes from a direct, identifiable source of discharge (e.g., sewage treatment plants, factories).  Abbreviated as PS.

Predation

A description of a biological interaction between a predator (hunter) and its prey (hunted).

PSQG

Provincial Sediment Quality Guidelines

PWGSC

Public Works and Government Services Canada

PWQO

Provincial Water Quality Objectives

RAP

Remedial Action Plan. Is a cleanup plan for restoring the environmental quality of an Area of Concern (AOC) such as the Detroit River. The RAP is administered locally in accordance with the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) and the Canada-Ontario Agreement (COA). The RAP is an ongoing collaborative effort implemented by federal, provincial, and local governments as well as industry and public partners.

RDC

Reference-Degraded Continuum

Re-Designation of a BUI

Meeting locally defined delisting criteria designed to be specific measurable, achievable and scientifically defensible. Sometimes this process is called delisting a BUI.

Riparian

An area or zone between land and water (usually a stream or river).

RTB

Retention Treatment Basin. collects, stores and treats combined sewer overflows before releasing the water back into a waterbody. The City of Windsor’s RTB is designed to reduce the amount of untreated wastewater entering the Detroit River because of a CSO.

SAV

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation

Scute

A bony plate that is similar to a scale. A turtle’s carapace (shell) is formed by many scutes that have grown together. Other examples of scutes are found on the skin of a crocodile and on the feet of some birds.

Sentinel Species

An indicator species that describes the condition of its environment.

SIC

Steering and Implementation Committee (DRCC)

SOLRIS

Southern Ontario Land Resource Information System

STB

Science and Technology Branch (Environment Canada)

Surface Runoff

water typically from rain or snow that flows across the land surface

SWP

Source Water Protection

Taxon (pl. taxa)

A group of one or more organisms defined by a scientific category such as by species or genus.

TBD

To be determined

TDI

Tolerable Daily Intakes

TP

Total Phosphorus

Tributary

A smaller stream of water that drains into a larger one. For example, Turkey Creek is a tributary of the Detroit River.

Trophic Level

the position an organism occupies within a food chain

UGLCCS

Upper Great Lakes Connecting Channels Study

USEPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

USFWS

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

USGS

United States Geological Survey

Wastewater

Also known as sewage, is collected and treated at a wastewater treatment plant, and discharged back into a body of water

Watershed

An area of land that drains into a body of water. A ridge of high land usually separates watersheds.

WECHU

Windsor-Essex County Health Unit

WQS

Water Quality Standards

ZCI

Zoobenthic Condition Index