WATER TERMS

term	description
Fe	Iron.
FEASIBILTIY STRUCTURE(FS)	l. Analysis of the practicability of a proposal; e.g., a description and analysis of the potential cleanup alternatives for a site on the National Priorities List. The feasibility study usually recommends selection of a cost-effective alternative. It usually starts as soon as the remedial investigation is underway; together, they are commonly referred to as the RI/FS 2. In research, a small-scale investigation of a problem to ascertain whether or not a proposed research approach is likely to provide useful data.
FECAL COLIFORM	That portion of the coliform bacteria group which is present in the intestinal tracts and feces of warm-blooded animals.
FIELD CAPACITY	The capacity of soil to hold water. It is measured by the soil scientist as the ratio of the weight of water retained by the soil to the weight of the dry soil.
FILTRATION	The mechanical process which removes particulate matter by separating water from solid material, usually by passing it through sand.
FIXED GROUND WATER	Water held in saturated material with pore spaces so small that it is permanently attached to the pre-walls, or moves so slowly that it is usually not available as a source of water for pumping.
FLOOD	A flood is an overflow or inundation that comes from a river or other body of water and causes or threatens damage. It can be any relatively high streamflow overtopping the natural or artificial banks in any reach of a stream. It is also a relatively high flow as measured by either gage height or discharge quantity.
FLOOD PLAIN	A strip of relatively level land bordering a stream or river. It is built of sediment carried by the stream and dropped when the water has flooded the area. It is called a water flood plain if it is overflowed in times of highwater, or a fossil flood plain if it is beyond the reach of the highest flood.
FLOODWAY	A part of the flood plain. The channel of a river or stream; the parts of the flood plains adjoining the channel which are reasonably required to carry and discharge the flood water or floodflow of any river or stream.
FLOW	The rate of water discharged from a source given in volume with respect to time.
FLOWING WELLS	A well where the piezometric surface lies above the ground surface.
FLYASH	The ash residue from high temperature combustion processes. Electric power plants using western coal, such as Austin's Fayette plant, produce a non-toxic flyash that can be a substitute for cement. Municipal waster incinerators can produce a toxic flyash which is not recommended as a component of any building material.
FOG	A cloud of condensed water vapor near the ground.
FORBAY	The water behind a dam.
FORFEITED WATER RIGHT	A water right canceled because of several consecutive years of nonuse.
FORMALDEHYDE	A colorless, pungent smelling material used as an adhering component of glues in many wood products. It can cause respiratory problems, cancer and chemical sensitivity.
FREEZING	The change of a liquid into a solid as temperature decreases. For water, the freezing point is 32 F or 0 C.
FRESH	SALT WATER INTERFACE
FROST	A covering of minute ice crystals on a cold surface. The temperature that causes freezing (32 degrees or below).
FAHRENHEIT SCALE	A thermometric scale on which the freezing point of water is at 32 degrees above the 0 on the scale, and the boiling point is at 212 degrees.
FILTER	A device used to remove solids from a mixture or to separate materials. Materials are frequently separated from water using filters.
FlRST IN TIME, FIRST IN RIGHT	A phrase indicating that older water rights have priority over more recent rights if there is not enough water to satisfy all rights.
FREE GROUND WATER	Water in interconnected pore spaces in the zone of saturation down to the first impervious barrier, moving under the control of the water table slope.

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