Glossary beginning with B
terms for which definitions are available
- bankfull
the channel at the top-of-bank or point from where water begins to overflow onto a floodplain
- baseflow
flow in a stream that is not directly influenced by precipitation and is derived from groundwater; the sustained discharge that does not result from direct runoff or from water diversions, reservoir releases, piped discharges, or other human activities
- benthic
used to describe aquatic organisms living at the bottom of a body of water
- benthic macroinvertebrates
aquatic insect larvae that live on stream bottom; because of a short lifespan and relative immobility, they reflect the chemical and physical characteristics of a stream and chronic sources of pollution
- bioretention
a stormwater retention area that utilizes woody and herbaceous plants and soils to remove pollutants before infiltration occurs
- BMP
Best Management Practice; a technique, measure, or structural control that addresses one or more objectives (e.g., a detention basin that gets built, an ordinance that gets passed, and an educational program that gets implemented)
- buffer
the area of land immediately adjacent to any stream, measured perpendicular to and horizontally from the top-of-bank on both sides of a stream