Sepulveda Dam Basin Master Plan - Los Angeles District - U.S. Army

Sepulveda Dam BasinMaster Plan and Environmental AssessmentAbutment A geological feature that each end of a Dam is tied into for support.Archaeological resources Surface or buried material remains, buried structures, or other items used ormodified by people.Basin Land area comprised of all Federal lands managed by the Corps that were acquired for the construction,operation and maintenance of the Whittier Narrows Dam Basin.Channel Portion of the project carrying flow may be described as: natural, constructed, riprapped, concrete,trapezoidal, leveed, overbank, low flow, bypass etc.Dam Barrier built to hold back flowing water.Discharge Volume of water that passes through a given cross-section per unit time; commonly measured incubic feet per second (cfs) or cubic meters per second (m3/s); also referred to as flow. In its simplest conceptdischarge means outflow; therefore, the use of this term is not restricted as to course or location, and it can beapplied to describe the flow of water from a pipe or from a drainage basin.Drainage area Area of a stream at a specified location is that area, measured in a horizontal plane, which isenclosed by a drainage divide.Easement Lands Land over which the Federal government acquired an interest in real estate to supportconstruction, operation and/or maintenance of the project. Not equivalent to fee title.Ecosystem Management An ecosystem is a dynamic community of biological organisms, including humans,and the physical environment in which they interact. Ecosystem management by the Corps is a proactive, goaldrivenapproach to sustaining ecosystems and their values. The Corps will manage communities to promoteregional environmental values occurring on project lands toward sustaining ecosystems in which the projectlands and waters occur. Such ecosystems and communities will be identified in resources objectives and/orland use classifications contained in the Master Plan and the OMP. Preferential treatment will be given to themanagement of ecosystems, communities, and habitats identified as having special status species. (ER 1130-2-540 15 Nov 96 2-2 f. (1)(a))Embankment Bank of earth, concrete, or other material constructed to hold back water.Endangered Species Any species which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of itsrange, and has been so listed by the FWS/NMFS at 50 CFR 17.11 and 17.12.Enhancement Enhancement measures/activities are those measures/activities taken above a stewardship level(i.e., level of required to sustain fish and wildlife resources for the life of the project), and thosemeasures/activities which produce an increase or concentration of animal numbers for the purpose ofrecreation benefits. Historically the term “enhancement” has been used an indication of a net habitatimprovement over the without project condition. However, this term now implies making the habitat better forsome species than it would have been naturally in the absence of human intervention. Since this goes beyondthe goal of ecosystem restoration, the use of the term, enhancement is rarely appropriate in Corps documents.Flood Risk Management Flood risk management is the process of identifying, evaluating, selecting,implementing, and monitoring actions taken to mitigate levels of risk. Scientifically sound, cost-effective,integrated actions are taken to reduce risks. Social, cultural, ethical, environmental, political, and legalconsiderations are accounted for in the process.Floodplain The lowland that borders a river, usually dry but subject to flooding.Acronyms and Glossary 7-2