| #D001 | | Application | Means an application to a Director under section 34 of the Ontario Water Resources Act for a Permit to Take Water. | high |
| #D002 | | Aquifer | A geological formation or structure that stores and/or transmits water, such as to wells and springs. Use of the term is usually restricted to those water-bearing formations capable of yielding water in sufficient quantity to constitute a usable supply for people's uses. Or in Ontario 'Aquifer means a water-bearing formation that is capable of transmitting water in sufficient quantities to serve as a source of water supply' (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 903: WELLS under Ontario Water Resources Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.40). | high |
| #D003 | | Aquifer (confined) | soil or rock below the land surface that is saturated with water. There are layers of impermeable material both above and below the aquifer. It is under pressure so that when the aquifer is penetrated by a well, the water will rise above the top of the aquifer. | high |
| #D004 | | Aquifer (unconfined) | an aquifer whose upper water surface (water table) is at atmospheric pressure, and thus is able to rise and fall. | high |
| #D005 | | Aquitard | a geologic formation or stratum that lies adjacent to an aquifer and that allows only a small amount of liquid to pass. | high |
| #D006 | | Artesian water | groundwater that is under pressure and is able to rise above the level at which it is first encountered when tapped by a well. It may or may not flow out at ground level. The pressure in such an aquifer is commonly called artesian pressure, and the formation containing artesian water is an artesian aquifer or confined aquifer. See Flowing well . | high |
| #D007 | | Baseflow | sustained flow of a stream in the absence of direct runoff. It includes natural and human-induced streamflows. Natural baseflow is sustained largely by groundwater discharge. | high |
| #D008 | | Bedrock | the solid rock beneath the soil and superficial rock. A general term for solid rock that lies beneath soil, loose sediments, or other unconsolidated material. | high |
| #D009 | | Best Practices | are the practices and approaches being used for water management science in Ontario and other jurisdictions under a variety of conditions that are effective and efficient and produce reasonable results. | high |
| #D010 | | Bottled water | potable water that is intended for human consumption and that is packaged in bottles or other portable containers. | high |
| #D011 | | CA | Conservation Authority | high |
| #D012 | | Cumulative Effects/Impacts | changes to surface water or groundwater resources that are caused or altered by an action in combination with other human or natural actions or conditions. In the context of the Assessment of Water Resources to Support a Review of Ontario's Water Quantity Management Framework (2018), Cumulative Effects include not only consideration of the changes to surface water and groundwater caused by multiple takings of surface or groundwater, but also considers the effects of climate change, population growth and related land use changes. In comparison, Cumulative Impacts only considers changes to surface water or groundwater resources that are caused or altered by multiple takings of surface or groundwater and their impact on other human or natural features. | high |
| #D013 | | Discharge | the volume of water that passes a given location within a given period of time. Usually expressed as volume over time (e.g. m 3 /s). | high |
| #D014 | | Drainage basin | land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large drainage basins, like the area that drains into the Grand River, contain smaller drainage basins or sub-watersheds. See Watershed . | high |
| #D015 | | Drawdown | a lowering of the groundwater surface caused by pumping. | high |
| #D016 | | Drought | a period of below-average precipitation in a given region, resulting in prolonged shortages in the water supply, whether atmospheric, surface water or groundwater. What officially constitutes drought differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. | high |
| #D017 | | Ecosystem-based management | an integrated management approach that recognizes the full array of interactions within an ecosystem, including humans, rather than considering single issues, species, or ecosystem services in isolation. | high |
| #D018 | | Environmental Setting | the milieu or aggregate of the surroundings including climate, diversity, geographic variability, watershed characteristics, geological and hydrogeological variability and aquifer types. | high |
| #D019 | | Environmental Flow Needs | the flows (quantity and timing) and water levels required in a water body to sustain freshwater ecosystems and the ecological function of the flora and fauna present within that water body and its margins. | high |
| #D020 | | Evidence-based decision making | means using the best available research, analytics, information and data supported by clear standards to guide decisions on policy and program development, delivery and evaluation process. | high |
| #D021 | | Flowing well/spring | a well or spring that taps groundwater under pressure so that water rises above ground surface without pumping. See Artesian water. | high |
| #D022 | | Freshwater | water that contains less than 1,000 milligrams per liter (mg/L) of dissolved solids; generally, more than 500 mg/L of dissolved solids is undesirable for drinking and many industrial uses. | high |
| #D023 | | Gauging station | a site on a stream, lake, reservoir or other body of water where observations and hydrologic data are obtained. Also called a stream gauge when located on a stream, river, or similar body of flowing water. | high |
| #D024 | | Groundwater, confined | groundwater under pressure significantly greater than atmospheric, with its upper limit corresponding to the bottom of a bed with hydraulic conductivity distinctly lower than that of the material in which the confined water occurs. | high |
| #D025 | | Groundwater | (1) water that flows or seeps downward and saturates soil or rock, supplying springs and wells. The upper surface of the saturated zone at atmospheric pressure is called the water table. (2) Water stored underground in rock crevices and in the pores of geologic materials that make up the Earth's crust. | high |
| #D026 | | Groundwater, unconfined | water in an aquifer that has a water table that is exposed to the atmosphere. | high |
| #D027 | | Groundwater recharge | inflow of water to a groundwater reservoir from the surface. Infiltration of precipitation and its movement to the water table is one form of natural recharge. Also used to define the volume of water added by this process. Alternatively, 'groundwater recharge' means the replenishment of subsurface water, (a) resulting from natural processes, such as the infiltration of rainfall and snowmelt and the seepage of surface water from lakes, streams and wetlands, and (b) resulting from human intervention, such as the use of stormwater management systems (O. Reg. 140/02: OAK RIDGES MORAINE CONSERVATION PLAN under Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Act, 2001, S.O. 2001, c. 31) | high |
| #D028 | | Headwater(s) | (1) the source and upper reaches of a stream; also the upper reaches of a reservoir. (2) the water upstream from a structure or point on a stream. (3) the small streams that come together to form a river. Also may be thought of as any and all parts of a river basin except the mainstream river and main tributaries. | high |
| #D029 | | High Use Watershed | the areas shown on the Average Annual Flow Map or the Summer Low Flow Map in Ontario Regulation 387/04 (Water Taking and Transfer). | high |
| #D030 | | Impermeable layer | a layer of solid material, such as rock or clay, which does not allow water to pass through. | high |
| #D031 | | Infiltration | flow of water from the land surface into the subsurface. | high |
| #D032 | | MECP | Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the 'ministry'. | high |
| #D033 | | MNRF | Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. | high |
| #D034 | | Municipal Water Supply | Means the supply of a large municipal residential system or of a small municipal residential system. | high |
| #D035 | | OLWR | Ontario Low Water Response Program | high |
| #D036 | | Ontario Water Managers or 'Water Managers' | any person responsible for the regulation, planning, development and distribution and use of water resources. | high |
| #D037 | | OWRA | Ontario Water Resources Act | high |
| #D038 | | Peak flow | the maximum instantaneous discharge of a stream or river at a given location. It usually occurs at or near the time of maximum stage. | high |
| #D039 | | Percolation | (1) The movement of water through the openings in rock or soil. (2) the entrance of a portion of the streamflow into the channel materials to contribute to groundwater replenishment. | high |
| #D040 | | Permeability | the ability of a material to allow the passage of a liquid, such as water, through rocks. Permeable materials, such as gravel and sand, allow water to move quickly through them, whereas impermeable materials, such as clay, do not allow water to flow freely. | high |
| #D041 | | Permit Holder | Holder of an active Permit to Take Water. | high |
| #D042 | | PGMN | Provincial Groundwater Monitoring Network | high |
| #D043 | | Porosity | a measure of the water-bearing capacity of subsurface rock or unconsolidated overburden materials. With respect to water movement, it is not just the total magnitude of porosity that is important, but the size of the voids and the extent to which they are interconnected (effective porosity), as the pores in a formation may be open, or interconnected, or closed and isolated. For example, clay may have a very high porosity with respect to potential water content, but it constitutes a poor medium as an aquifer because the pores are usually so small. | high |
| #D044 | | Potentiometric surface/piezometric surface | the imaginary line where a given reservoir of fluid under pressure would rise if allowed to flow, for example if penetrated by wells; a potentiometric surface is based on hydraulic principles. | high |
| #D045 | | Precipitation | rain, snow, hail, sleet, dew, and frost. | high |
| #D046 | | PTTW/Permit | a permit to take water under the Ontario Water Resources Act . | high |
| #D047 | | Recharge | water added to an aquifer. For instance, rainfall that seeps into the ground. | high |
| #D048 | | Recovery | the hydraulic response at a pumping well or observation well after pumping has stopped. | high |
| #D049 | | Reservoir | a pond, lake, or basin, either natural or artificial, for the storage, regulation, and control of water. | high |
| #D050 | | River | a natural stream of water of considerable volume, larger than a brook or creek. | high |
| #D051 | | Runoff | (1) That part of the precipitation, snow melt, or irrigation water that appears in uncontrolled surface streams, rivers, drains or sewers. Runoff may be classified according to speed of appearance after rainfall or melting snow as direct runoff or base runoff, and according to source as surface runoff, storm interflow, or groundwater runoff. (2) The total discharge described in (1), above, during a specified period of time. (3) Also defined as the depth to which a drainage area would be covered if all of the runoff for a given period of time were uniformly distributed over it. | high |
| #D052 | | Setting | the physical, chemical and biological environment (such as climate, geology, soil, and plants and animals living in or on the water) in which a resource is situated and which determine its characteristics and behaviour. | high |
| #D053 | | Source Water Protection Authority | A conservation authority or other person or body that is required to exercise and perform the powers and duties of a drinking water source protection authority under the Ontario Clean Water Act. | high |
| #D054 | | Species at Risk (SAR) | species protected under the federal Species at Risk Act and/or the Ontario Endangered Species Act. | high |
| #D055 | | Specific Capacity | the productivity of a well in terms of discharge rate per unit of drawdown in the well. | high |
| #D056 | | Spring | a water body formed when the side of a hill, a valley bottom or other excavation intersects a flowing body of groundwater at or below the local water table, below which the subsurface material is saturated with water. | high |
| #D057 | | Stakeholders | people who have a share or an interest in water. | high |
| #D058 | | Storativity (or Storage Coefficient) | the volume of water that an aquifer releases from storage per unit surface area of aquifer per unit decline in the component of hydraulic head normal to that surface. | high |
| #D059 | | Stream | a general term for a body of flowing water; natural water course containing water at least part of the year. In hydrology, it is generally applied to the water flowing in a natural channel as distinct from a canal. | high |
| #D060 | | Streamflow | the water discharge that occurs in a natural channel. A more general term than runoff, streamflow may be applied to discharge whether or not it is affected by diversion or regulation. | high |
| #D061 | | Surface water | water that is on the Earth's surface, such as in a stream, river, lake, or reservoir. | high |
| #D062 | | Sustainability | development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There are three spheres of sustainability: the economy, society and the environment. They have a dynamic relationship, which means that any change to one affects the others. It is the reason why we cannot consider our economy or quality of life separately from the well-being of our natural environment. | high |
| #D063 | | Sustainable Yield | Means the maximum rate of taking from an aquifer that can be sustained without causing unacceptable impact on other users and natural system functions, and without causing unacceptable degradation of water quality in the aquifer. | high |
| #D064 | | Tool | a process, method or computer program / routine used in the implementation of an 'approach' as defined for the purposes of this project. For the purposes of this study, a tool does not include a physical device or physical implement. | high |
| #D065 | | Transmissivity (T) | the rate at which groundwater is transmitted through a unit width of an aquifer under a unit hydraulic gradient. It is often expressed as the product of hydraulic conductivity and the full saturated thickness of the aquifer and has units of the form m 3 /day/m. | high |
| #D066 | | Tributary | a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream. Usually, a number of smaller tributaries merge to form a river. | high |
| #D067 | | Water Balance | Means a quantification of water input and output and changes in storage of the various components of the hydrologic cycle. | high |
| #D068 | | Water bottling facility | any facility that requires a permit for taking groundwater for the purpose of producing bottled water. | high |
| #D069 | | Water Bottling Study Area and WBSA | areas associated with water bottlers that are being assessed as part of the Assessment of Water Resources to Support a Review of Ontario's Water Quantity Management Framework (2018). | high |
| #D070 | | Water Quantity Assessment | the determination of the sources, extent, dependability and quality of water resources for their utilization and control. Water resources in turn can be defined as the water available, or capable of being made available, for use in sufficient quantity and quality at a location and over a period of time appropriate for an identifiable demand. | high |
| #D071 | | Water Quantity Management Framework | policies, programs and science, information including data collection and assessment tools, used in the management of water use. | high |
| #D072 | | Water Quantity Protection External Working Group | an external working group established by the Ministry to provide an open and collaborative forum to share expertise and provide input to strengthen groundwater and surface water quantity protection as part of Ontario's strategy to better protect water in the province. | high |
| #D073 | | Water Quantity Study Area and WQSA | each of the 7 areas that are being assessed as part of the Assessment of Water Resources to Support a Review of Ontario's Water Quantity Management Framework (2018). | high |
| #D074 | | Water Resources | any groundwater and surface water source that supplies water to the natural environment and that are useful or potentially useful to study. In the context of the Assessment of Water Resources to Support a Review of Ontario's Water Quantity Management Framework (2018), the Great Lakes are not included in the Water Resources being addressed and the focus is on water resources quantity. | high |
| #D075 | | Water Security | the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socioeconomic development, for ensuring protection against water-borne pollution and waterrelated disasters, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability. (UN-Water, 2013). | high |
| #D076 | | Water table | the top of the water surface in the saturated part of an aquifer that is at atmospheric pressure, also referenced as an unconfined aquifer. | high |
| #D077 | | Watershed | land area where precipitation runs off into streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. It is a land feature that can be identified by tracing a line along the highest elevations between two areas on a map, often a ridge. Large drainage basins, like the area that drains into the Grand River, contain smaller drainage basins or sub-watersheds . See Drainage basin . | high |
| #D078 | | WWIS | Water Well Information System. | high |
| #D079 | | WTRS | Water Taking Reporting System. | high |
| #D080 | | LCPE | Loi canadienne sur la protection de l'environnement | high |
| #D081 | | m3 | mètres cubes | high |
| #D082 | | Water security | the capacity of a population to safeguard sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, human well-being, and socio-economic development, and for preserving ecosystems in a climate of peace and political stability (United Nations-Water, 2013) | high |
| #D083 | | Prior appropriation | the first user to take a quantity of water and put it to beneficial use has a higher priority of right than a subsequent user (National Agricultural Law Center, n.d.). | high |
| #D084 | | Riparian rights | the legal water rights of a person owning land containing or bordering on a water course or other body of water in or to its banks, bed, or waters (National Agricultural Law Center, n.d.). | high |
| #D085 | | Prior allocation system | a government-controlled system, where water rights are issued to individual users for specific volumes and purposes, and where priority among users is also based on first in time, first in right, with seniority based on the date of application (AMEC, 2008). | high |
| #D086 | | Beneficial use | used to determine whether a certain use of water will be recognized and protected by law against later appropriations. The justification for beneficial use criteria is to prevent waste. | high |
| #D087 | | Calcareous fens | rare and distinctive wetlands characterized by a substrate of non-acidic peat and dependent on a constant supply of cold, oxygen-poor groundwater rich in calcium and magnesium bicarbonates (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2017) | high |
| #D088 | | Baseline capacity for large quantity withdrawals (LQWs) | means that LQWs that were installed and in-use on or before October 1, 2008, are considered to be accounted for in the stream index flow determinations that Part 327 required by that date (Subsection 32701(1)(x)) (Quality, 2016) | high |
| #D089 | | Significant water withdrawal facilities (SWWF) | the water withdrawal facilities of a person that, in the aggregate from all sources and by all methods, has the capability of withdrawing more than one hundred thousand (100,000) gallons [378,541 litres] of ground water, surface water, or ground and surface water combined in one (1) day | high |
| #D090 | | Combined appropriation | appropriation of water from the same source aquifer by two or more groundwater developments that are physically manifold into the same system. | high |
| #D091 | | Meteorological drought | defined usually on the basis of the degree of dryness (in comparison to some 'normal' or average amount) and the duration of the dry period. | high |
| #D092 | | Agricultural drought | links various characteristics of meteorological (or hydrological) drought to agricultural impacts, focusing on precipitation shortages, differences between actual and potential evapotranspiration, soil water deficits, reduced groundwater or reservoir levels, and so forth. | high |
| #D093 | | Hydrological drought | associated with the effects of periods of precipitation (including snowfall) shortfalls on surface or subsurface water supply (i.e., streamflow, reservoir and lake levels, groundwater). | high |
| #D094 | | Socioeconomic drought | differs from the aforementioned types of drought because its occurrence depends on the time and space processes of supply and demand to identify or classify droughts… Socioeconomic drought occurs when the demand for an economic good exceeds supply as a result of a weather-related shortfall in water supply. | high |
| #D095 | | Water stress (UNEP) | when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use. Water stress causes deterioration of fresh water resources in terms of quantity (aquifer over-exploitation, dry rivers, etc.) and quality (eutrophication, c, etc.) | high |
| #D096 | | Water stress (Pacific Institute) | the 'ability, or lack thereof, to meet human and ecological demand for fresh water' | high |
| #D097 | | Consumption | means water withdrawn from a supply that is lost for immediate further use in the area. | high |
| #D098 | | Conflict | whenever the total withdrawals and uses of ground or surface waters would exceed the available supply based on established resource protection limits, including protection elevations and protected flows for surface water and safe yields for groundwater, resulting in a conflict among proposed users and existing legal user | high |
| #D099 | | Collaborative group | a group of persons appointed by a local authority under clause 40 for the purpose of assisting the local authority to prepare or change a proposed policy statement or plan that relates to its functions under section 30 or 31, as the case may be | high |
| #D100 | | WMD | water management districts | high |
| #D101 | | Appropriate | to divert, impound, or withdraw, including by stock for stockwater, a quantity of water for beneficial use | high |
| #D102 | | Ecosystem water flows | the flows (quantity and timing) and water levels required in a water body to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems, human livelihoods, and the ecological function of the flora and fauna present within that water body and its margins | high |
| #D103 | | Protected flow | the amount of water required in the watercourse to accommodate in-stream needs such as water-based recreation, navigation, aesthetics, fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, and needs by downstream higher priority users located in reasonable proximity to the site of appropriation | high |
| #D104 | | High capacity well | any well with the capacity to withdraw >100,000 gallons (378,541.18 litres) per day from a groundwater source | high |
| #D105 | | High-capacity intake | one with the capacity to withdraw >100,000 gallons (378,541.18 litres) per day from a surface water source | high |
| #D106 | | Native title | the communal, group or individual rights and interests of Aboriginal peoples in relation to land or waters where- (a) the rights and interests are possessed under the traditional laws acknowledged, and the traditional customs observed, by the Aboriginal peoples; and (b) the Aboriginal peoples, by those laws and customs, have a connection with the land or waters; and (c) the rights and interests are recognised by the common law; and (d) the rights and interests have not been extinguished or have revived. | high |
| #D107 | | Sustainability stress | indicated when the aquifer ‘water level’ is decreasing without periodic recovery | high |
| #D108 | | Water policy transfer | using knowledge of water policies, programs and institutions in one context in the development of water policies, programs and institutions in another, can help to expedite the changes that are needed to improve water governance | high |
| #D109 | | Integrated water management | based on the interconnected nature of water bodies across landscapes, above and below ground and in terms of water quantity and quality connections | high |
| #D110 | | Adaptive management | concerns the development of an institutional environment that can adjust to changing circumstances of scientific uncertainty, climate variability, institutional complexity and shifting social concerns | high |
| #D111 | | Drought | a deficiency of rainfall over a period of time, resulting in a water shortage for some activity, group, or environmental sector | high |
| #D112 | | Water scarcity | refers to the objective volumetric abundance of water supply, or lack thereof | high |
| #D113 | | Water stress | used more broadly including the physical aspects of water resources as well as quality, environmental flows and human accessibility to water | high |
| #D114 | | RMA | Resource Management Act 1991 | high |
| #D115 | | MFL | minimum flows and levels | high |
| #D116 | | iwi | Maori tribe | high |
| #D117 | | Mana Whakahono a Rohe | Indigenous peoples | high |
| #D118 | | ERP | Environmental Resource Permit | high |
| #D119 | | WUP | water use permit | high |
| #D120 | | EFI | Environmental Flow Indicators | high |
| #D121 | | HOFs | Hands Off Flows | high |
| #D122 | | WUAC | Water Use Advisory Council | high |
| #D123 | | CAMP | Community Aquifer Management Partnerships | high |
| #D124 | | MDARD | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | high |
| #D125 | | WMA | Water Management Area | high |
| #D126 | | EIEN | Environmental Information Exchange Network | high |
| #D127 | | FITFIR | first-in-time, first-in-right | high |
| #D128 | | WSSA | Water Supply Source Assessment | high |
| #D129 | | Quality of Life Agencies | Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), and Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) | high |
| #D130 | | Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool (WWAT) | an assessment tool that estimates the likely impact of a water withdrawal on nearby streams and rivers. | high |
| #D131 | | Water Users Committees | committees which may be formed by water use registrants, permit holders and local governments, for the purposes of evaluating the status of current water resources, water use and trends in water use within the watershed, and assisting in long-term water resources planning. | high |
| #D132 | | site-specific review (SSR) | a review by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) required before a withdrawal can be operationalized if an application cannot pass the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool (Zone C or D). | high |
| #D133 | | Permit to Take Water (PTTW) | a permit required by the MECP for water taking at a specific location for amounts of 50,000 litres on any day or more with some exceptions (domestic, livestock, emergency uses etc.). | high |
| #D134 | | Water Sustainability Act (WSA) | the main piece of legislation that integrates stream water and groundwater in British Columbia. | high |
| #D135 | | integrated resource management (IRM) | an approach focusing on land use planning which includes water, used in the Yukon territory. | high |
| #D136 | | source water assessment program (SWAP) | a program implemented by the Illinois EPA to assist with wellhead and watershed protection of public drinking water supplies. | high |
| #D137 | | Water Allocation Plans (WAP) | legal documents developed by the regions within South Australia that account for ecosystem water needs, an assessment of the water resource to meet environmental water requirements, the water that will be set aside for the environment, and a statement of environmental outcomes. | high |
| #D138 | | Midwest Drought Early Warning System (MDEWS) | a local stakeholder-driven effort encompassing data collection and monitoring; research; planning for climate extremes; and communication, education, and outreach. | high |
| #D139 | | natural low flow (Q5) | the threshold flow rate for a waterway or catchment used to assess allocable flow in the Waikato region. | high |
| #D140 | | gallons per day (gpd) | a unit of measurement for water withdrawal capacity or consumption. | high |
| #D141 | | Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) | the state agency responsible for site-specific reviews and authorizing large quantity water withdrawals in Michigan. | high |
| #D142 | | Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) | the state agency that developed stream temperature classifications and fish response curves used in the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool. | high |
| #D143 | | Environment, Resources and Development (ERD) Court | a specialist court in South Australia which deals with disputes and the enforcement of laws relating to land development and management, the natural and built environment and natural resources. | high |
| #D144 | | Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies (CAMS) | strategies used in England to periodically assess water availability across watersheds and prepare Abstraction Licensing Strategies. | high |
| #D145 | | National Water Resources GIS (WRGIS) | the central system in England where abstraction, discharge, natural flows and complex impacts information from the CAMS ledgers is uploaded to calculate current resource availability. | high |
| #D146 | | Controlled Groundwater Area (CGWA) | may be designated to protect water quantity or quality. | high |
| #D147 | | deficiency | defined by the DNR as a serious hydrologic imbalance during times of drought | high |
| #D148 | | capacity use area | an area where the Commission finds that the aggregate uses of groundwater and/or surface water have, or risk being, developed to a degree which requires coordination and regulation, or which exceed, threaten or impair the renewal or replenishment of such waters. | high |
| #D149 | | Water Exploitation Index | used to measure the mean annual total demand for freshwater in a country divided by the long-term average for freshwater resources. | high |
| #D150 | | pueblo rights | possess a paramount right to the beneficial use of all needed, naturally occurring surface and subsurface water from the entire watershed of the stream flowing through the original pueblo. | high |
| #D151 | | Murphy Rights | legislation that provides for in-stream flow protection for specified rivers, including Blue Ribbon trout streams in Montana. | high |
| #D152 | | Recreational Water Rights | held by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks for maintaining in-stream flows considered necessary for public recreational uses | high |
| #D153 | | call | the senior user is asking specific water users with later priority dates to limit or stop water diversions. | high |
| #D154 | | exempt wells | individual wells pumping no more than 35 gallons a minute or 10 acre feet a year | high |