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Glossary beginning with E

terms for which definitions are available

E. coli

Escherichia coli; a common rod-shaped bacterium that is found in the intestinal tract of warm blooded animals; used as an indicator of contamination by feces/sewage

ecosystem

a collection of living things and their environment

effluent

outflow of liquid waste, such as discharge from a sewer treatment plant

encapsulated

enclosed or covered, such a stream that has been built into a sewer

encroachment

a structure or activity that changes, expands, or diminishes the course, current, or cross-section of a watercourse, floodway, or body of water

EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

erosion

the process by which soil particles are removed or displaced, usually by wind or water

estuary

a body of water intermediate between an ocean and river, usually tidal and highly productive