NEWS & UPDATES CALENDAR OF EVENTS RESOURCE LINKS THE CUYAHOGA RIVER WATERSHED & AREA OF CONCERN TRIBUTARIES & SUBWATERSHEDS DELISTING ACTIONS ACRONYMS and GLOSSARY of terms used in watershed planning and management DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE VERSION Disclaimer: This list is a work in progress. If we missed something, let us know. If you would like to add or correct anything, please email comments to goodmanj@cuyahogariverrap.org. ACRONYMS ACRONYM STANDS FOR... DEFINITION AHR American Heritage River A federal initiative designating 14 American Heritage Rivers having significant and unique roles in our country's history. AOC Area of Concern Areas identified by the IJC as having pollution levels that pose existing or potential threats to the health of the Great Lakes BGI Balanced Growth Initative A strategy to protect and restore Lake Erie and its watersheds to assure long-term economic competitiveness, ecological health and quality of life. BMP Best Management Practice Management or structural practices designed to reduce the quantities of pollutants washed off the land and into waterways BUI Beneficial Use Impairment A condition where the chemical, physical, or biological integrity of a water system is unable to meet various quality levels or provide support for aquatic life. 14 BUIs comprise the "List" that a Great Lakes Area of Concern must remove or remedy in order to reach its goal. COE Army Corps of Engineers The department with control over the structure and operations of U.S. navigable waters CRCPO Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization The nonprofit organization that operates the Cuyahoga River RAP and the Cuyahoga American Heritage Initiative CREP Conservation Resource Enhancement Program A voluntary land retirement program that helps agricultural producers protect environmentally sensitive land, decrease erosion, restore wildlife habitat, and safeguard ground and surface water. It is administered by USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA). CRP Conservation Reserve Program a voluntary program for agricultural landowners to receive annual rental payments and cost-share assistance to establish long-term, resource conserving covers on eligible farmland. CSO Combined Sewer Overflow The location where storm water and municipal wastes are discharged untreated to streams, in systems where sewers convey both sanitary wastes and storm water runoff in the same pipe, and on occasions when heavy rain creates increased flow that overloads the capacity of the waste water treatment plant CWA Clean Water Act Also known as Public Law 92-500, "Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972", the Act establishing a goal of fishable and swimmable waters (by 1983) and elimination of pollutant discharges into navigable waters (by 1985). Amended in 1977, 1981 and 1987. CWH Cold Water Habitat (fauna) waters capable of supporting populations of native coldwater fish and associated vertebrate and invertebrate organisms and plants on an annual basis. DNAP Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (ODNR) The part of the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources dealing with natural areas, parks and preserves EQIP Environmental Quality Incentives Program Part of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Farm Bill) providing financial and technical help to assist eligible participants to install or implement structural and management practices on eligible agricultural land. EWWH Exceptional Warmwater Habitat waters capable of supporting and maintaining an exceptional or unusual community of warmwater aquatic organisms FMF Forest Mitigation Fund AKA "Tree Mitigation Fund", a fund set up to receive monies paid in lieu of mitigation, in cases where trees are cut or forest is cleared for construction. If forest is not replaced, restored or enhanced on private property by the developer, monies can be deposited into the Fund for use either to carry out mitigation on private property or to plant and maintain urban forests on public land. FWS Fish and Wildlife Service A division of the U.S. Department of the Interior GIS Geographic Information System A method for imaging land areas using latitude and longitude and satellite information to place and map various landforms and features. GLC Great Lakes Commission The binational agency that promotes the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water and related natural resources of the Great Lakes basin and St. Lawrence River. Its members include the eight Great Lakes states with associate member status for the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Québec. The Commission was established by joint legislative action of the Great Lakes states in 1955 (the Great Lakes Basin Compact) and granted congressional consent in 1968. GLNPO Great Lakes National Program Office (USEPA) The part of the US Environmental Protection Agency that oversees and helps Great Lakes stakeholders work together in an integrated, ecosystem approach to protect, maintain, and restore the chemical, biological, and physical integrity of the Great Lakes. GLPF Great Lakes Protection Fund A private, nonprofit corporation formed in 1989 by the Governors of the Great Lakes States. It is a permanent environmental endowment that supports collaborative actions to improve the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. IBI Index of Biological Integrity Used to measure the ability of a set of elements in a given biological system to function in the current environment as compared to how the same set would function in the absence of human affect on the environment. IJC International Joint Commission The bi-national governmental body tasked with preserving, protecting and restoring the health of the Great Lakes LEPF Lake Erie Protection Fund Provides grants for programs and projects that protect or restore Lake Erie and its watershed in Ohio LID Low Impact Design/Development Design or development strategies or structures that reduce surface runoff of storm water and pollutants or improve water quality exiting a site. MS4 Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System A drainage system for conveying stormwater, sewage and other wastes, which is NOT a combined sewer system MWH Modified Warmwater Habitat Waters found to be incapable of supporting and maintaining a balanced, integrated, adaptive community of warmwater organisms due to irretrievable modifications of the physical habitat. NEDO Ohio EPA - Northeast District Office The district that oversees OEPA operations for Northeast Ohio, located in Twinsburg NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System The permitting system established by the Clean Water Act that imposes limitations and monitoring requirements for point-source discharges from municipal, private or industrial sources. NPDES Phase II The permitting rules created by USEPA requiring municipalities in urban areas with separated storm sewers to control polluted runoff from nonpoint sources NPS Nonpoint Source (pollution) Pollutants (fertilizers, pesticides, road salt, automotive waste and others) that wash off surfaces and into waterways and are not attributable to a single source. NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service A service of the USDA to help non-federal landowners conserve soil, water and natural resources. ODNR Ohio Department of Natural Resources The department charged with managing the state's land and water resources OEEF Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEPA) The Ohio EPA Office of Environmental Education administers the Ohio Environmental Education Fund (OEEF), which awards grants for education projects to enhance the public's awareness and understanding of issues affecting environmental quality in Ohio. OEPA Ohio Environmental Protection Agency The state agency responsible for protecting the environment and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws. OLEC Ohio Lake Erie Commission A collaboration of 6 state agencies working to improve Lake Erie. Supports the LEPF. ORAM Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (for Wetlands) Method of categorizing wetlands based on quality OWDA Ohio Water Development Authority The state agency that provides loans and technical support for environmental infrastructure projects PCA Preferred Conservation Area In Balanced Growth Watershed Planning, an area designated for conservation to preserve natural functions PDA Preferred Development Area In Balanced Growth Watershed Planning, an area where development would have the least negative impact on watershed functions PRA Preferred Restoration Area An area where critical watershed features could be restored to higher function and result in significant benefits to the watershed. QHEI Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index A method for evaluating stream habitat quality. RAP Remedial Action Plan Refers to the plans, as well as the organizations managing them. that work to assess impairments and restore beneficial uses in designated Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes Basin SWCD Soil And Water Conservation District County agency providing technical support to communities to protect and conserve soil, water and natural resources. TMDL Total Maximum Daily Load A calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources. A TMDL is the sum of the allowable loads of a single pollutant from all contributing point and nonpoint sources. The Clean Water Act, section 303, establishes the water quality standards and TMDL programs. (USEPA) TMF Tree Mitigation Fund See FMF, Forest Mitigation Fund USDA U.S. Department of Agriculture USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency USFS U.S. Forest Service USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U. S. Geological Survey WRP Wetland Reserve Program A program of the NRCS providing financial support for wetland restoration and protection projects WWH Warm Water Habitat waters capable of supporting and maintaining a balanced, integrated, adaptive community of warmwater aquatic organisms GLOSSARY OF TERMS ALTERNATIVE SITE DESIGN Innovative site design practices developed as alternatives to traditional development methods to control storm water pollution and protect the ecological integrity of developing watersheds, with emphasis on reducing impervious cover, runoff volume, pollutant loading and development and long-term maintenance costs. BASEFLOW The portion of streamflow that is not due to storm runoff but is the result of ground water discharge BIORETENTION A practice to manage and treat storm water runoff using a specially designed planting soil bed and planting materials to filter runoff stored in a shallow depression. Proper bioretention areas include a mix of elements, each designed to perform different functions in the removal of pollutants and attenuation of storm water runoff. CHANNELIZATION Alteration of a stream channel by widening, deepening, straightening or paving areas in order to speed flow. CHECK DAMS Small, usually temporary, dams constructed across a swale or drainage ditch to reduce the velocity of storm water flows. CONSERVATION DEVELOPMENT A land use plan, and often a zoning designation, for developments that preserve a significant percentage of land as open and/or natural space so as to preserve natural habitat, reduce erosion and protect water quality. CONSERVATION EASEMENT An agreement that transfers a landowner's rights to develop or consume a property to a public or private entity that agrees to conserve the land in perpetuity CONSTRUCTION SITE EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PROGRAM Policies adopted by local governments requiring developers to implement best management practices to prevent the erosion and transport of sediment to streams from development sites CRITICAL FEATURES Elements of a watershed system, such as wetlands, soils, slopes, riparian corridors, forest cover, that are essential components to the proper functioning of the natural water management system and to stream health DELISTING The goal of the work of the OEPA and RAPs, to restore beneficial use impairments (BUI) enough to remove an Area of Concern or a part thereof, from the IJC's list of waters that have negative impacts on the Great Lakes. DETENTION Managing storm water runoff by temporarily holding it and controlling its release. DETENTION BASIN Also called "Dry Detention Pond", a storm water basin designed to capture, temporarily hold, and gradually release a volume of storm water runoff in order to attenuate and delay peak runoff. They control storm water quantity and protect stream banks from erosion during peak events but do not affect water quality. DIKE An embankment to confine or control water DRY WELL A small excavated pit or trench filled with aggregate that receives storm water runoff, primarily from rooftops, and serves as an infiltration system to reduce the quantity of runoff from a site. EPHEMERAL STREAM A stream with flowing water only during, and for a short duration after, precipitation events in a typical year. Ephemeral streambeds are located above the water table year-round. Groundwater is not a source of water for the stream. Runoff from rainfall is the primary source of water for stream flow. ENHANCEMENT Activities conducted to improve or repair existing or natural functions and values of a stream or wetland. FOREST COVER Includes all the elements and layers of a healthy forest, including tree canopy, understory trees, shrubs and brush, ground cover and vegetation, decaying organic material (duff), and animal habitat. FLOOD PLAIN A watercourse and the areas adjoining it that periodically are covered by flood waters during heavy precipitation when streams overflow their banks FUNCTION The type of water quality service provided by the watershed feature or resource. This may include habitat for wildlife, flood control, filtering, erosion control, etc. HYDRIC SOILS A soil that formed under conditions of saturation, flooding or ponding long enough during the growing season to develop anaerobic conditions in the upper part. Reduced oxygen pathways limit the ability of most plants and microorganisms to thrive. IMPERVIOUS Not allowing water, air or light to pass through. INTERMITTENT STREAM A stream or portion of a stream that flows only in direct response to precipitation, and is dry for a large part of the year. MITIGATION The restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of a wetland or forest to make up for the loss of a wetland or forest that is destroyed by development. .......MITIGATION BANK An area or a collection of land areas where restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation can take place so as to compensate for wetland and other aquatic resource losses in a manner that contributes to the long-term ecological functioning of the watershed within which the bank is to be located. Its purpose is to replace essential aquatic functions which are anticipated to be lost through authorized activities within the bank's service area, such as development or road-building. .......MITIGATION FUND (FOREST) AKA "Tree Mitigation Fund", a fund set up to receive monies paid in lieu of mitigation, in cases where trees are cut or forest is cleared for construction. If forest is not replaced, restored or enhanced on private property by the developer, monies can be deposited into the Fund for use either to carry out mitigation on private property or to plant and maintain urban forests on public land. ........MITIGATION RATIO The size of a mitigation site as compared to the original area that is being replaced, taking into consideration the relative level of service provided or lost. ........OFF-SITE MITIGATION Restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation occurring outside a project boundary, but within the same watershed. .......ON-SITE MITIGATION Restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation occurring within or adjacent to a project boundary. NATIVE PLANTS Plants that are adapted to local soil and rainfall conditions, require minimal watering, fertilizer and pesticide application, and provide food and/or shelter for native fauna. NON-STRUCTURAL CONTROLS Pollution control techniques, such as management actions and behavior modification, that do not involve the construction or installation of mechanical or structural devices. PEAK DISCHARGE The maximum instant flow from a storm event at a given location PERMEABLE Open to passage or penetration, especially by fluids PERENNIAL STREAM One that contains water throughout the year PERVIOUS Allowing passage through. POROUS Having pores through which light, air or water can pass PRIMARY HEADWATER STREAM A stream which has a watershed less than or equal to 1 sq. mile and a maximum pool depth less than or equal to 40 cm. RIPARIAN CORRIDOR An area along the banks of a river or stream that separates water bodies from developed land and is intended to protect the waterway and water quality from chemical and physical impact (pollution, erosion) RIPARIAN/WETLAND SETBACK The areas along riparian corridors or wetlands, which are designated in local zoning codes, where limits are placed on structures and uses. SECTION 319 NONPOINT SOURCE DEMONSTRATION GRANTS Federal funds made available through OEPA/USEPA as a requirement of the Clean Water Act for nonpoint source pollution control projects. STATE REVOLVING LOAN FUND Low interest loans available for improvements to publicly owned wastewater treatment and conveyance facilities, some of which can support BMPs for control of nonpoint sources of pollution WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS & GROUPS Community-based initiatives aimed at building involvement in support of stream monitoring, protection and/or restoration Sources: USGS, USEPA, OEPA, NOACA, ODNR, Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management

The Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization (CRCPO)
is host to the Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan (RAP) and
the Cuyahoga American Heritage River Initiative.

We work with partners, stakeholders and communities
in five Northeast Ohio counties to restore and revitalize the
Cuyahoga River Watershed and Areas Of Concern, and
to improve water quality in the watershed and Lake Erie.

www.cuyahogariverrap.org