STORET Glossary of Terms 

Term	Description
----------------------	-----------------------------------------
Agency	"Used as a column header in reports, represents the code by which an Organization was known in Legacy STORET.  "
Agency Code	See Agency.  This term is obsolete.  The term Organization ID replaces it.
Agency Name	See Agency.  This term is obsolete.  The term Organization Name replaces it
Ambient Measurement	A measurement of the concentration of a substance or pollutant within the immediate environs of an organism taken to relate to the amount of possible exposure. 
Ambient Medium	"Material surrounding or contacting a point of interest (e.g., outdoor air, indoor air, water, or soil) from which samples may be collected to determine the physical or chemical properties of the medium at the point."
Aquifer	"An underground geological formation, or group of formations, containing water. They are sources of groundwater for wells and springs."
Category	"Used as a column header in the HUC Hydrologic Unit Code text file, indicating what kind of Hydrologic Unit a given Code describes.  The United States is divided hierarchically into Hydrologic Regions, which are in turn divided into Subregions, then Accounting Units, and finally into Cataloging Units."
Code	Used as a column header in any STORET table describing how a specific code may be used in reports.
Composite Grab Number	A numeric value representing the total number of smaller grab samples combined in a composite sample.
Composite Sample	"A sample collected either by a continuous process, such as filling a container slowly over time, or by combining the contents of several smaller samples into a single larger container."
Composite Method	"The method by which a composite sample is created. In reports, abbreviated as a code (in column CM) whose meaning is described in the Composite Method Codes text file."
Composite Statistic	"Statistics (e.g. average, maximum, minimum) and performance types (e.g., accuracy, precision) that describe the composite properties of a set of grab samples collected over some interval. In reports, abbreviated as a code (in column CS) whose meaning is described in the Composite Statistic Codes text file."
Depth Units	Used as a column header in the Station Description files for the counties.  Indicates the Unit of Measure associated with the Station Depth.
Description	"Used as a column header in any STORET table describing the meaning associated with a code used in reports.  In the Station Description files, marks the data column holding the textual description of the station."
Effluent	"Wastewater--treated or untreated--that flows out of a treatment plant, sewer, or industrial outfall. This term generally refers to wastes discharged into surface waters. "
End Date	The date on which a sample compositing process was completed.
End Time	The composite sample end time based on a 24-hour clock.
EPA	The United States Environmental Protection Agency.
FIPS	Federal Information Processing Standards. (See Hydrologic Unit Codes.)
First Date Recorded	"In the Aggregate Data Summary, it is the oldest Sample Start Date for the specified parameter."
G	"Used as a column header in the Station Description files for the counties, to indicate Groundwater stations.  ""G"" in this column marks the station as a Groundwater station."
Grab Sample	"A sample collected more or less instantaneously, often by dipping a container directly into the water being sampled."
HUC	"Used as a column header in reports, or as an abbreviation in documentation for Hydrologic Unit Code."
Hydrologic Unit Code	"The code used to identify the hydrologic unit of the station based on FIPS.  The United States is divided hierarchically into Hydrologic Regions, which are in turn divided into Subregions, then Accounting Units, and finally into Cataloging Units.  Descriptions of the Hydrologic Unit Codes defined by the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) are included in the HUC Hydrologic Unit Codes text file."
Hydrologic Unit Region	The first two digits in the Hydrologic Unit Code that divides the country into twenty-one regions. Visit the USGS Homepage to learn more about Hydrologic Unit Regions.
Last Date Recorded	"In the Aggregate Data Summary, this value is the most recent Sample End Date for the specified parameter. However, if only grab samples exist for this parameter, this value represents the most recent Sample Start Date."
Latitude	"The angular distance north or south of the earth's equator along a meridian of longitude.  By convention, values North of the equator are positive, South negative."
LDC	The STORET Legacy Data Center
Legacy Data Center	An interim relational database that houses data migrated from the Legacy STORET system. See the Purpose Page for a detailed description.
Longitude	"The angular distance east or west of the Prime Meridian at Greenwich, England.  By convention, values East of the Prime Meridian (most of Europe and Asia) are positive, and values West of it (all of North America) are negative."
Megabyte	"A measure of computer disk storage capacity of 1,048,576 bytes. A Megabyte is 1,024 Kilobytes, each of which is 1,024 bytes.  A byte is 8 bits.  A bit is the smallest possible unit of storage, representing a single binary digit of either 0 or 1."
Name	Used as a column header in any STORET table describing what name is associated with a code used in reports.
Organization	"The owner of the station, sample, and result information. See Agency."
Organization Code	"The eight digit code identifying the organization responsible for the data. It identifies the owner of the data and is used to provide authorization for updating or deleting data for specific organizations. Organization codes were user defined prior to 1977. Since 1977, they have been assigned by the STORET system manager. The combination of an organization code and a station identifier uniquely identifies a site. See Agency Code."
Organization Name	Name identifying the organization responsible for the data. It identifies the owner of the data and is used to provide authorization for updating or deleting data for specific agencies. See Agency Name.
Parameter (or Param)	"The substance or property being measured. The parameter is replaced by the concept of a Characteristic in new STORET. The entire list of parameters is supplied as a self-expanding ""zip"" file, Parameter_Codes_ZIP.exe."
Parameter Code	"Numeric code uniquely identifying a STORET parameter. Legacy STORET parameter codes also have non-result usage. Examples of non-result parameter codes include: sample qualifiers, result qualifiers, lab descriptors, people descriptors, and location descriptors. "
Parameter Name (Short or Long)	The description associated with the parameter code. Parameters have one long name and three short names. 
Primary Activity Category	Codes used to define composite sample types or activity categories based on the media number in legacy STORET. Definitions are found in the Primary Activity Category Codes text file.
Primary Secondary Combo	System generated unique identifier for an assignment between a Primary and Secondary Activity Category. 
R	"Used as a column header in reports, indicates a coded Remark associated with the reported result.  Definitions are found in the Result Remark Codes text file."
Replicate Number	"Used as a column heading in the Result Reports.  If present, indicates that the sample is one of a series of Replicates (""extra"" samples normally collected and evaluated to verify that the primary sample represents repeatable results.)"
Reporting Units	"The code representing the measurement scale that accompanies a numeric value (e.g., degrees Centigrade, mg/l)."
Result	"Data value for a sample result or a code representing an observation (e.g., WMO codes). Result values can be numeric or alphanumeric values. Non-detects are remarked values in the legacy system. "
Result Remark	A single character code and definition used to further quantify a result.
S	"Used as a column header in the Station Description files for the counties, to indicate Surface Water stations.  ""S"" in this column marks the station as a Surface Water station."
Sample	"Monitoring activity (e.g., ambient samples, measurements, observations, QC samples) that is performed at a specific date, time, and location in order to characterize the environment."
Sample Depth	The distance from the water surface at which a sample was taken.
Sample End Date	Only present for composited samples.  The date on which the compositing process was completed.
Sample Start Date	"The date on which a grab sample was taken, or on which a sample compositing process was begun."
Sample Type	The method by which a composite of two or more samples is created. Examples of composite methods include grab and continuous. 
Secondary Activity Category	The codes used to define a sample type that is based on the media code found in the legacy STORET system. Definitions are found in the Secondary Activity Category Codes text file.
Species Name	Name used to describe the species of a sample in legacy STORET.
Start Date	"The date on which a grab sample was taken, or on which a sample compositing process was begun."
Start Time	"The time at which a grab sample was taken or the start time of the composite sample, based on a 24-hour clock. 2500 in this column means Start Time was not reported."
Station	The recorded location where monitoring activities occur.  Used as a column header in reports to indicate Station ID.
Station Alias	"Optional user-assigned alternative identifiers for stations in legacy STORET. In addition to its mandatory Station ID, one station may have up to three aliases."
Station Depth	"The usual or typical depth of water at the station, measured in feet."
Station ID	The code used by the legacy system to denote the primary station identifier.
Station Name	"The text used by the Organization to describe a Station location. This field may contain stream or drainage basin names, or other information such as addresses."
Station Type	A multi-valued key describing the station and/or the site at which the station is located.
STORET	"Acronym derived from the first three letters of the words STOrage and RETrieval.  This term has been used to describe our Ambient Water Quality Database since its initial release, in September 1963."
UMK	User Multi-purpose Key. This free text is not present if End Date is not null.
USGS	"United States Geological Service USGS Field Lab Code: Indicates where the measurement was made (i.e., in the field or in the lab) as defined by the USGS. "