A list of terms and acronyms used by the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup
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 |