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<br />water under the rights established through previo~s l?TOc~dure.
<br />The term is also applied to the supervision of ,the, dl~trIbutlOn of
<br />water under existing rights established br adJudICatIon.
<br />RIGHTS, WATER, APPROPRIATION - A leg'! l"~ de.
<br />signating the act or acts involved "in the taking and reducmg to
<br />personal possession of water oc:curring in a .s~ream or other body
<br />of water, and applying such water to beneficIal uses or purposes.
<br />RIGHTS, WATER, DOGTRINE-OF-APPROPRIATION OF -
<br />The legal principals governing the rights to the use of war~r
<br />through appropriation. The doccrine was del-'eloped largely m
<br />the arid west.
<br />RIGHTS, WATER, RIPARIAN - The leg'[ right which ,,-
<br />sures to the owner of land abutting upon a stream or other
<br />natural body of water the use of such water. It originated ,in the
<br />comttlOn law which allowed each riparian owner [0 requue the
<br />water of a s.~ream to reach his land "undiminished in quantity
<br />and unaffected in quality" except for minor domes.tic uses. It has
<br />been abrogated in a number of the western states, ~nd greatly
<br />modified in others, and in general, at the present tlme, aUows
<br />each riparian owner to make a reasonable use of the water upon
<br />his riparian land, the extent of such use bei~g g~)\'erned by the
<br />reasonable needs and requirements of other npanan owners and
<br />the quantity of water available.
<br />. SALINITY - The relative concentration of salts, usually sodium
<br />chloride, in a given water. It is usually expressed in terms of the
<br />number of pans per million of chlorine (CI).
<br />SECOND-FOOT-DA Y - The volume of water represented by
<br />a flow of 1 cu. ft. per sec. for 24 he. It is 86,400 cu. ft. or nearly
<br />2 acre-ft. (actually 1.9835); a convenient unit in storage com-
<br />putations. .
<br />SEDIMENTATION - The process of subsidence a~d .deposi.
<br />tion of suspended matter carried by water, ~r other hqUl~s, by
<br />gravit)'. It is usually accomplished by reducmg the veloCIty of
<br />the liquid below the point where it can rransport [he suspended
<br />material. Also called settli.ng.
<br />SEEPAGE, RETURN - "'later which percolates from canals
<br />and irrigated areas to underlying strata, raising the ground-water
<br />le~l, and which eventually returns to nOltural channels.
<br />SEWER OUTFALL - A sewer which receives the sewage from
<br />a collecdng system and carries it to a point of final discharge.
<br />SOIL ALKALINE - A non-acid soil which contains more hy.
<br />droxyl ions than hydrogen ions. A soil having a pH above ~.Oj
<br />for practical purposes, with a pH above about 7.3. A~ alkaline
<br />soil is detrimental to the growth of most crop plants If t~e p~
<br />is 8.5 or higher or if the percentage of exchangeable sodIUm IS
<br />15 percent or more. Not to be confused with alkali soil.
<br />SPREADING, WATER - (I) The artificial application of
<br />water to lands for the \',urpose of storing it in the ground for
<br />subsequent withdrawal y pumps for crops. (2) Irrigation by
<br />surplus waters out of cropping season.
<br />STORAGE, GROUND-WATER - \Vater which occurs as
<br />ground water in the zone of saturation, including that parr en-
<br />tering and leaving srorage.
<br />STREAM, EFFLUENT - (I) A stream or stretch of stream
<br />which receives water from ground.water in the zone of
<br />saturation. The water surface of such a stream stands at a lower
<br />level than the water table or piezometric surface of the ground-
<br />water body from which it receives water. Also called a gai.ning
<br />stream. (2) A stream flowing out of another stream or out of a
<br />lake.
<br />STREAM, EPHEMERAL. (I) One that flows only in direct
<br />response to preciJ2itation. S.uch a stream receives n~ water from
<br />springs, and no long contmued supply from meltlOg snow or
<br />other surface source. Its channel is at all times above the watet
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<br />table. (2) The term may be arbitrarily restricted to streams or
<br />stretches of streams that do not flow continuously during periods
<br />of as much as one month.
<br />
<br />STREAM, INTERMITTENT, SPRING.FED - A "'''m, "'
<br />a stretch of a Slream, that flows only at certain times when ir
<br />receives water from springs. The intermittent character of Streams
<br />of this type is generally due to fluctuations of the water table
<br />whereby stream channels stand :3 part of the time below, and a
<br />p:3rt of the time above, the water table.
<br />
<br />SPRING, INTERMITTENT, SURFACE-FED - A ",eam 0'
<br />stretch of a stream which flows during a protracted period when
<br />it receives water from surface sources, generally the gradual and
<br />long continued melting of snow in a mountainous or other cold
<br />tributary area. The term mali be arbitratily restricted to Streams
<br />or stretches of streams thar ow continuously during periods of
<br />at least one month.
<br />
<br />STREAM, PERENNIAL. A stream which flows continuously
<br />at all seasons of a year and during dry as well as wet years.
<br />Such streams are usually fed by ground water, and their water
<br />surface generally stands at a lower level than that of the water
<br />table in the locality.
<br />
<br />SURVEY, SNOW - The process or operation of determining
<br />the depth, water contenl, and density of snow at various selected
<br />pojnts on a drainage bas.in, in order to ascertain the amOUnt of
<br />water stored thereon in the fonn of snow for the purpose of
<br />forecasting subsequent runoff.
<br />
<br />TABLE, \VATER, NATURAL - A water table in its natural
<br />condition and position. not disturbed by artificial additions or ex.
<br />tractions of water.
<br />
<br />TRANSPIRATION - (I) The process by which plants dissipate
<br />water into the atmosphere from leaves and other surfaces. (2)
<br />The water which escapes as vapor from plant leaves and other
<br />surfaces.
<br />
<br />USE, CONSUMPTIVE - The quantity of water absorbed by
<br />the crop and transpired or used directly in the building of plant
<br />tissue together with that evaporated from the cropped atea. It
<br />is expressed in units of depth on the area. Also called evapo-
<br />transpiration.
<br />vV A TER, DUTY OF - In irrigation, the quantity of water reo
<br />q~ired to satisfy the irrigation water requirements of land. It
<br />WIll vary from a large use under crude practice to small use
<br />under good practice. It is simply the measure of the use of water
<br />and may be distinguished as head-gate or gross duty, lateral duty,
<br />dut}' at the farm, or net duty, and crop dut}, for different crops.
<br />Ir is ~xpressed either as the rate of flow required per unit area
<br />of land, the area which can be served by a unit rale of flow,
<br />or the total volumetric quantity of water in terms of depth of
<br />water, required during the irrigation season or given portion
<br />thereof. In stating the duty, the crop, and usually the location of
<br />t~e land)~ questio~ as well as the type of soil, should be speci-
<br />fied. A hIgh duty corresP9nds to an economical use of water'
<br />a "low duty" indicates small returns for the water used. Usage:
<br />however, has broadened the meaning until it may mean exactly
<br />the opposite;. that is, high duty signifying the use of abundant
<br />wa~er and vice versa. See also water, use of, consumptive; re-
<br />qUIrement, water.
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<br />W ~TER, Dl;ITY.OF, FARM - The seasonal quantity of water
<br />delivered to IndIVIdual farm unirs under an irrigation project.
<br />Such duty may be expressed in terms of acre.feet per acre, total
<br />del?th of water over a unit area, or number of acres served per
<br />unit of flow. Such dUlY expresses the actual rate of use of water
<br />at rhe farm, after all canal and other losses have been eliminated
<br />but includes losses in the farm ditches and also waste. '
<br />WATER, GROUND - (1) Subsurface water occupying the
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