View Acronyms

Alluvial - A deposit of soil from flowing water, as in river sediment.

Backwater - Water held or forced back as by a dam, tide, or flood; a stagnant area.

Batture - Land situated between a river levee and the normal riverbank.

Benefit - Enhancement resulting from a project, usually to the economy, agriculture, or natural resource of an area.

Buffer - A strip of land following the bank of a ditch or creek.

Clearing and Snagging - The removal of downed trees and other debris that would impede water flow from a ditch or stream.

Crevasse - A gap or break in a levee through which flood water discharges.

East Prairie - A small city of approximately 3500 residents (about 4500-5000 total in city and surroundings) in Mississippi County, Missouri.

EIS - Environmental Impact Statement, document that assesses and reports the results from proposed construction projects.  Required under the NEPA process for large projects.

Fuseplug - A section of levee that is designed to be slightly lower than the adjacent levee for natural overtopping of water during high flood events.  This helps the levee withstand severe flood events.

Gravity Outlet - A structure that allows for water to drain without mechnaical assistance from one area through a levee or dam to the other side.

Herbaceous - Plant exhibiting leafy foliage but not woody characteristics.

Inundate - To flood, overspread with water, or overflow.

NEPA - National Environmental Policy Act, an act that requires groups to evaluate and make known the potential environmental impacts of proposed projects.

Pinhook - A small town of about 50-75 people on the New Madrid Floodway in Southeast Missouri.

Pumping Station - A water works station that removes water from behind a levee even when the water level in front of the levee is higher than behind, forcing the lifting of the evacuated water.

Rearing Period - The growing, nurturing, youth period in the fish life cycle.

Riparian - Pertaining to, situated upon, or dwelling on a streambank.

Spawning period - Reproductive period in a fish life cycle.

Terrestrail - Land based.

Acronyms