Acronyms, Definitions

Acronyms

AF (Acft): Acrefoot
AG: Attorney General, State of Kansas
AWEP: Agricultural Water Enhancement Program
BAC: Basin Advisory Committee
CWA: Clean Water Act - Federal Law
DASC: Data Access and Support Center
DISC: Division of Information Systems and Communications
DWR: Division of Water Resources, KS Department of Agriculture
EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency
EQIP: Environmental Quality Incentive Program, part of the 2002 Farm Bill
ET: Evapotranspiration
GIR: Gross Irrigation Requirement
GIS: Geographic Information System
GMD: Groundwater Management District
GMDA: Groundwater Management Districts Association
GPS: Global Positioning System
HHW: Household Hazardous Waste
HPA High Priority Area
IDP: See RDP
IGUCA: Intensive Groundwater Use Control Area
KAR: Kansas Administrative Regulation
KARL: Kansas Agricultural Leadership Program
KCC: Kansas Corporation Commission
KDHE: Kansas Department of Health & Environment
KDWP: Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
KELP: Kansas Environmental Leadership Program
KGMDA: Kansas Groundwater Management Districts Association
KGS: Kansas Geological Survey
KGWA: Kansas Ground Water Association
KNRC: Kansas Natural Resource Council
KORA: Kansas Open Records Act
KRC: Kansas Rural Center
KSA: Kansas Statutes Annotated
KWA: Kansas Water Authority
KWO: Kansas Water Office
LEPG: Local Environmental Protection/Planning Group
LEPP: Local Environmental Protection Program
LUST: Leaking Underground Storage Tank
MDS: Minimum Desirable Streamflow
mg/l: Milligrams per liter (Approximately = to ppm)
MOA: Memorandum of Agreement
MOU: Memorandum of Understanding
NIR: Net Irrigation Requirement
NPDES: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
NWRA: National Water Resources Association
p/d: Authorized point of diversion (also pt/div)
p/u: Authorized place of use (also pl/use)
ppb: parts per billion
ppm: parts per million
ppt: parts per trillion
RDP: Resource/Irrigation Development Plan (Also called IDP)
SCC: State Conservation Commission
SDWA: Safe Drinking Water Act
SWP: State Water Plan
TOPO: Topographic Map (Also called "TOPOG")
Ug/l: Micrograms per liter (approximately = to ppb)
URBAC: Upper Republican Basin Advisory Committee
UIC: Underground Injection Control
USGS: United States Geological Survey
UST: Underground Storage Tank
VOC: Volatile Organic Chemical
WRCP: Water Rights Conservation Program
WUR: Water Use Report

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Water Term Definitions

Geographic Information System (GIS): Computer software that allows numerous data layers to be viewed, manipulated and mapped simultaneously.

Groundwater Management District (GMD): Local units of government in Kansas authorized by state law to manage groundwater so long as the activities are not inconsistent with state law. There are currently 5 operating districts.

Kansas Agricultural Leadership Program (KARL): A state program to foster leadership abilities in agricultural issues.

Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education: (KACEE): Formed as an outreach of the Kansas Association of Conservation Districts, it serves as a co-sponsor of Project WET (Water Education for Teachers). The Kansas Water Office contracts with KACEE to implement Project WET.

Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE): Based at Kansas State University, Manhattan, KCARE provides the building blocks to identify relevant and fundable research areas, and establish interdisciplinary working relationships between Kansas State University and organizations outside of Kansas State University related to agriculture and the environment.

Kansas Environmental Leadership Program (KELP): An adult environmental education and leadership program that allows participants to learn by doing.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE): State Agency responsible for health and environmental issues and concerns. KDHE handles many water quality programs in Kansas.

Kansas Natural Resources Council (KNRC): A private, non-profit group primarily supporting small farms and farmers, sustainable agriculture, environmentally sound farming practices, etc.

Kansas Rural Center (KRC): A private, non-profit group supporting sustainable Ag, diversified farms and farming, and environmentally sound farming practices.

Kansas Water Authority (KWA): Appointed authority representing all water users across the state which oversees the state water planning process. Governor appoints most of the voting members and the chair. State agency directors are ex-officio members.

Kansas Water Office (KWO): State agency responsible for water planning in Kansas.

Kansas Water Plan: One of the important products of the KWO and KWA process. The state water plan serves as a guide to all water regulatory entities in the state.

Local Environmental Protection Program (LEPP): The NW Kansas group organized to implement the LEPP. Consists of 16 NW Kansas Counties. A program under KDHE for counties or groups of counties to develop comprehensive environmental codes made up of 6 elements or codes: sanitary code; public water supply protection; new subdivision wastewater; solid waste; non-point pollution; and hazardous waste.

Losing Stream: A stream or stream segment that is providing surface water recharge to an associated groundwater aquifer.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are enforceable standards.

Minimum Desirable Streamflow (MDS): The amount of flow to be met to benefit instream uses relative to water quality, fish, wildlife, aquatic life, recreation and aesthetics. An MDS is specific to a river stretch and varies by month.

Net Irrigation Requirement (NIR): The net amount of water required for irrigation of a given crop which is ET minus effective precipitation. This value does not account for system irrigation efficiency.

Nonpoint Source Pollution (NPS): Contamination that is likely to create a nuisance or render water harmful. It occurs when water runs over land or through ground, and picks up pollutants. Any source that does not have a permit is considered a nonpoint source.

Nonstructural: May include legislative and political methods such as floodplain regulation and zoning. It also may refer to use of riparian restoration on wetland restoration and bioengineering.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES): A program that requires a Federal permit issued through KDHE to regulate potential pollutant point sources such as lagoons at industrial, municipal and agricultural facilities.

Restored Wetland: An attempt to repair and put back in as close to original condition as possible either an existing wetland that has been damaged by the activities of man, yet is still functioning somewhat as a wetland, or a previously existing wetland site that has been converted. Such restorations would concentrate on identified high priority wetlands of environmental significance and be accomplished on a voluntary, incentive based basis.

Riparian: Streamside and floodplain areas where the vegetation, soils, or topography are distinguishable from that on adjoining uplands. This area is often referred to as the stream corridor.

Safe Yield: The annual quantity of water that can be withdrawn from a defined water source that is limited to the average, cyclic amount of natural replenishment of that source. Replenishment of ground water is recharge and replenishment of surface water is a combination of runoff and ground water discharge to streamflow.

Structural: Generally refers to dams, concrete and culverts.

Sustainable Yield Management: A goal that sets water management criteria for the development and use of water within a defined hydrologic system to ensure long term trends in water use lead to stable ground water levels and streamflow patterns. It would allow for reasonable short term water level or flow variation that would not exceed a system’s natural ability to recover during wet periods, and protect against degradation of the environment within that system.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL): The maximum amount of a pollutant that a specific body of water can receive without violating water quality standards.

Water Rights Conservation Program (WRCP): Former program developed by DWR that allowed active water rights to be set aside for a period of from 5-10 years, provided the area was closed to new rights and some other considerations. This program was eliminated by DWR on December 31, 2009.

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