GLOSSARY

Aquifer:
A geological formation of permeable rock, gravel, or sand containing or conducting ground water, especially one that supplies wells or springs.

Ecosystem:

A biological community together with the physical and chemical environments with which it interacts.

Estuary:

The area of coastal waters where fresh water from rivers and other upland sources meets with salt water from the ocean.

Floodplain:

The lowlands adjoining rivers or streams or the shorelines of oceans or lakes that may be inundated by floodwaters.

Ground Water:

Water beneath the earth's surface between saturated soil and rock that supplies wells and springs.

Headwaters:

Upper tributaries of a river or stream; the water from which a river or stream rises.

Non-point Source:

Diffuse sources of contaminants or pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point (e.g., agricultural runoff, storm water runoff, deposition from the atmosphere).

Riparian:

Of, or relating to, the terrestrial area adjacent to the banks of a stream, river, lake, or wetland.

Watershed:

The entire surface drainage area that contributes water to a lake, river, groundwater supply, or coastal water body.