Glossary Of Terms

100-Year Flood

That flood event that has a one-percent chance of occurrence in any one year.

303(d)

Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires Washington State to identify and assess polluted waters that need improvement. This includes rivers, lakes, and marine waters. The list of these impaired waters is known as the 303(d) list. Learn more at the Dept. of Ecology Website.

Agricultural land

Land that is intensively used and managed for the production of food and fiber. Examples are cropland, hayland and pastures, including native pastures and rangeland, orchards, vineyards, areas which support wetland crops, other lands used to produce or support the production of livestock, and small tree farms.

Agroecology

An integrated or systems way of thinking about agriculture. The study of interrelationships of agriculture (the farmer or rancher) with its environment (resources, social issues, and economic considerations, and legal requirements).

Air Quality

Lowers pollution and particulates in the air.

Algal bloom

A sudden increase in the abundance of suspended (planktonic) algae, especially at or near the water surface, producing a green appearance in the water. Excess nutrients can cause an algal bloom.

Amphibians

Creatures that can live both on land and in water.

Aquatic

Growing, living or found in water.

Aquifer

A natural underground formation that is saturated with water, and from which water can be withdrawn.

Artesian well

An artesian well taps underground water which is under sufficient pressure that water rises to the surface naturally.

Bank

The rising ground at the edge of a river or stream.

Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs)

Simple restoration techniques designed to mimic the form and function of natural beaver dams.

Burrow

A hole in the ground made by an animal for shelter or protection.

Canopy

The top layer of a forest that spreads out and creates shade.

Clean Water Act

The Clean Water Act is the primary U.S. law regulating pollutant discharge into waterways, protecting water quality through Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforced permits.

Climate Smart

Mitigates and builds resilience for changes in climate.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a system that connects consumers with local farms, allowing them to share in the harvest. Find a CSA near you: https://eatlocalfirst.org/wa-food-farm-finder/csa/

Conservation

The careful protection and preservation of nature.

Conservation Agriculture

A farming approach that minimizes soil disturbance, maintains ground cover, and promotes crop diversity to protect natural resources and improve soil health.

Conservation district

Non-regulatory local government units that provide services and expertise to help communities conserve natural resources like water, soil, wildlife, and forests. They work with landowners and communities to restore wildlife habitats, improve water quality, and protect natural resources.

Conservation Easement

A voluntary, legal agreement that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values.

Conservation Planning

The activity of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and others in using the planning process intended to result in a conservation plan or areawide conservation plan.

Conservation Practice

A specific treatment, such as a structural or vegetative measure, or management technique commonly used to meet a specific need in planning and carrying out soil and water conservation programs for which standards have been developed.

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

A voluntary conservation program that helps landowners retire agricultural land from production. The program is a partnership between the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) and state governments.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)

A voluntary conservation program that pays farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of production. The goal is to improve water quality, reduce soil erosion, and create wildlife habitats.

Cropland

Land use designation for land used primarily for the production of field crops or orchard crops, alone or in association with sod crops.

Drip irrigation

An efficient irrigation practice where small, steady flows of water are released to individual plants through a network of irrigation hoses and tubes.

Drought

A prolonged period of below-average precipitation that impacts ecosystems, agriculture, and water availability.

Easement

A right given by the owner of land to another party for specific limited use of that land.

Erosion

Erosion is the process of soil and rock breaking down and moving due to forces like water, wind, or glaciers, altering landscapes and water bodies.

Farm Service Agency (FSA)

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agency that helps farmers and ranchers through programs and loans including disaster relief, conservation, commodity price guarantee, and farm commodities.

Farm Succession

The process of transferring a farm to a new owner, which can include the farm's assets, income, and management. It can also refer to the transition of a farm from one generation to the next.

Fecal coliform

Fecal coliform is a bacteria present in the intestinal tracts of humans and warm-blooded animals. When introduced into water systems, it contaminates the water and may spread disease.

Fish habitat

Provides essential conditions for fish.

Food chain

The order in which living things rely on each other for food.

Forest & Wildfire

Improves tree or forest health and/or mitigates wildfire risk.

Fry

A recently hatched young fish.

Funding Opportunities

Financial incentives with conservation districts include grants and cost-sharing programs that help landowners and communities conserve natural resources.

Groundwater

Water stored beneath the Earth's surface, which can be tapped for human use and exists as tributary groundwater (connected to surface water) or designated groundwater (only remotely connected).

Habitat

The natural environment of a plant or animal.

Impervious Surface

Any material which reduces or prevents absorption of water into land.

Infiltration

The introduction of underground water, such as groundwater, into wastewater collection systems.

Invasive species

An invasive plant is a non-native plant that spreads quickly and aggressively, harming the environment and competing with native plants.

Lodge

A den or lair for groups of animals, like beavers.

Migration

Moving from one region or climate to another, usually on a regular schedule.

Mulch

Covering on surface of soil to protect and enhance certain characteristics, such as water retention qualities.

Native

A native plant is a plant that has evolved and occurs naturally in a specific region or ecosystem without human introduction.

Natural Resource

Any naturally occurring resource needed by an organism, population, or ecological system such as soil, water, air, plants, and animals.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

A US government agency that helps landowners conserve natural resources.

Nature

Living and nonliving things in the world that are not made by people, including animals, plants, rocks, insects and the land itself.

Nest

A place where eggs are laid and young animals are raised, including turtles, birds and mice.

Non-point source pollution

Pollution that comes from diffuse sources that can only be broadly identified.

Point Source

A pollutant originating from an identifiable (“point”) source, such as a pipe, vent, or culvert.

Pollen

Fine powder in the stamen of a flower that fertilizes the seeds.

Pollinators

Pollinators are creatures that help plants reproduce by moving pollen from flower to flower.

Pollinators & Wildlife

Enhances habitat for wildlife and/or animals that pollinate plants.

Pollutant

A substance that harms the environment.

Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS)

Low-tech, hand-built structures that mimic beaver activity to promote wood accumulation in streams.

Rangeland

A kind of land on which the historic climax vegetation was predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs.

Rapids

Part of a river where the current flows fast, usually over rocks.

Rare Species

A condition in which a species or subspecies, although not currently threatened with extinction, exists in such small numbers throughout its range that it may be endangered if the quality of its environment worsens.

Recreation

Land use designation for land and water used and managed for recreational purposes.

Regenerative Agriculture

A holistic land management approach that aims to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and improve ecosystem function.

Retention Area

A pond, pool, lagoon, or basin used for the storage of water runoff.

Riparian

Land bordering a natural waterway, serving as a transition between water and upland areas and supporting water-dependent ecosystems.

Riparian Restoration

The restoration of natural habitat that acts as an interface between land and water along the banks of a river, stream, or lake.

Runoff

Water from rain, snowmelt or irrigation that flows over the ground surface and runs into a water body.

Sediment

Eroded soil, sand, and mineral particles transported by water.

Shelter

A place that provides protection and cover.

Soil & Stability

Maintains fertile, nutrient-rich soil and/or prevents erosion.

Soil Health

The continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.

Soil moisture

The water content in the upper soil layers that affects plant growth, evaporation, and the soil’s ability to absorb precipitation.

Spawning

Laying eggs.

Storm drain

A pipe that carries rain and melted snow away from the streets and sidewalks.

Stormwater

Any precipitation or snowmelt which runs off impervious surfaces such as rooftops, paved streets, gravel, and parking lots.

Surface water

Any above-ground water in lakes, rivers, streams, and reservoirs, primarily sourced from rain and snowmelt.

Sustainability

Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.

Sustainable Agriculture

An integrated system of plant and animal production practices that, over the long term, satisfy human food and fiber needs, enhance environmental quality, make efficient use of resources, sustain farm economic viability, and improve the quality of life for farmers and society.

Technical Assistance

Help provided by conservation districts on opportunities, potentials, and problems related to natural resource use.

Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

A plan to reduce pollution in a water body to meet water quality standards.

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Centers

USDA Service Centers provide assistance from various USDA agencies, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Farm Service Agency (FSA).

Urban

Land use designation for land occupied by buildings and related facilities used for residences, industrial sites, institutional sites, public highways, airports, and similar uses associated with towns and cities.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)

A state agency that manages fish, wildlife, and ecosystems.

Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

A state agency that manages Washington's natural resources.

Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC)

Works to conserve natural resources on all lands in Washington state, through voluntary and incentive-based programs, in collaboration with conservation districts and other partners.

Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA)

A government agency that regulates, advocates for, and provides services for Washington's agricultural industry.

Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology or DOE)

A state agency that works to protect Washington's land, air, and water.

Water Quality

The measurement of how clean and healthy water is.

Water Savings

Reduces usage for a more sustainable water supply.

Watershed

A region or area of land that drains into a body of water such as a lake, river, or stream.

Wetlands

Areas that are seasonally or permanently saturated with water, supporting vegetation and wildlife adapted to wet conditions.

Xeriscape

A style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance, used in arid regions.