Column Explanations for Fish Community Data

File Type: Sample Description

Column Name Column Description
SampleID Sample ID - an arbitrary, unique integer used to identify the sample
SUID Four-letter abbreviation for NAWQA study unit
OrigSUID Original four-letter abbreviation for NAWQA study unit
CollectionYear Calendar year when sample was collected
STAID USGS station id number
StationName USGS station name
Reach Reach name
LocNum Number of sample location
CollectionDate Date and time when sample collection began
SampleMediumCode Code for sampling medium
SampleType Sample category or type (RTH, quantitative; QMH, qualitative)
Collector Person or persons responsible for collecting the sample
ReplicateFlag Replicate flag-indicates whether sample is a repeated-sampling replicate (Y) of a primary environmental sample (N)
ReviewStatus Study unit data review status for the sample
PrgmProjCode Program code
AreaSampTot Total area sampled for invertebrate sample, square centimeters
RSAAlgaeFlg Related Sampling Activity, Algae Survey Flag
RSAChemFlg Related Sampling Activity, Water Chemistry Flag
RSADischargFlg Related Sampling Activity, Discharge Flag
RSAHabFlg Related Sampling Activity, Habitat Survey Flag
RSATissFlg Related Sampling Activity, Tissues Flag
RSAInvertFlg Related Sampling Activity, Invertebrate Survey Flag
RSAFishFlg Related Sampling Activity, Fish Survey Flag
RSABedSedFlg Related Sampling Activity, Bed Sediment Flag
RSAOther Related Sampling Activity, Other Sample Activity
CloudCover Cloud coverage, percent
WindIntensity Wind Description, text
PrecipDescrip Precipitation description, text
PrecipIntensity Precipitation intensity, text
OtherSiteCond Other site conditions, text
QWTime1 Time when observation or measurement was taken
WaterTemp1 Temperature, water, unfiltered, degrees centigrade
WaterPH1 pH, water, unfiltered, field, standard units
WaterDO1 Dissolved Oxygen - measurement taken for first set of field water-quality measurements.  Milligrams per liter.
SpecConductance1 Specific conductance, water, unfiltered, 25 deg c, field, microsiemens per centimeter
QWTime2 Time when observation or measurement was taken
WaterTemp2 Temperature, water, unfiltered, degrees centigrade
WaterPH2 ph, water, unfiltered, field, standard units
WaterDO2 Dissolved Oxygen - measurement taken for second set of field water-quality measurements.  Milligrams per liter.
SpecConductance2 Specific conductance, water, unfiltered, 25 deg c, field, microsiemens per centimeter
Discharge Discharge - instantaneous discharge in cubic feet per second
Stage Stage, stream, feet
RiparianShading Riparian shading description, text
WaterClarity Water clarity description, text
WaterColor Water Color, text
PhysSiteCondNotes Notes about physical conditions at site when sample was collected
InsertDate Date and time when record for sample was inserted in Sample table
UpdateDate Date and time record in table was last updated

File Type: Individual Measurements

Column Name Column Description
FishSampleID Fish Sample ID - an arbitrary, unique integer that identifies a fish-community Sample
SUID Four-letter abbreviation for NAWQA study unit
STAID USGS station id number
Reach Reach name
CollectionDate Date and time when sample collection began
SampleType Type of sample
Collector Person or persons responsible for collecting the sample
EntryOrdNum Entry Order Number -- the order in which fish record was entered in database. Unique within sample. Can be re-used for different samples.
Method Fish method code
ShockSec Electroshocking time in seconds
NumHauls Number of Seine
NumSets Number of Sets
NumTrans Number of Transects
ScientificName Scientific name of taxon
CommonName Common or vernacular name of taxon
LabFlag Lab Flag - flag indicating whether specimen(s) were identified in the lab (T) or In the field (F)
FishSLen Fish Standard Length - standard fish length, millimeters
FishTLen Total fish length, millimeters
FishWt Fish weight, grams
Abund Abundance - number of individual fish
FishSpecialist Fish Specialist - name of taxonomist who identified fish
ErodeFinFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of eroded fins
DeformFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of deformities
LesionFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of external lesions
TumorFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of external tumors
AnchWormFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence anchor worms
BlakSpotFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of black spot.
LeachFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of leaches
FungusFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of fungus
FishIchFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of ich
NoEyesFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating blind or no eyes
ParasiteFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of visible external or subcutaneous Parasites
PopeyeFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating presence of popeye
NoAnomFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating no anomalies were found
NoCharFlag Fish anomaly flag indicating fish was not examined (characterized) for anomalies (T = not characterized, F = characterized)
Voucher Voucher, text
FishComm Fish Comments, text
InsertDate Date and time record for fish sample was inserted in Sample table
UpdateDate Date and time record for fish sample was last updated in Sample table

File Type: Species Abundance

Column NameColumn Description
FishSampleIDFish Sample ID - an arbitrary, unique integer that identifies a fish-community sample
SMCODNAWQA sample identification code
OriginalSUIDOriginal four-letter abbreviation for NAWQA study unit 
SUIDFour-letter abbreviation for NAWQA study unit
STAIDUSGS station id number 
ReachReach name 
CollectionYearCalendar year when sample was collected
CollectionDateDate and time when sample collection began
TaxonCurrentIDUnique BioTDB identifier for taxon
ITISNumIntegrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) taxonomic serial number
TaxonLevelTaxonomic rank of the taxon
HybridFlagBoolean flag indicating whether taxon is a hybrid
AbundanceNumber of individuals collected in sample
ScientificNameScientific name of taxon
CommonNameCommon or vernacular name of taxon
PhylumTaxonomic Phylum
SubPhylumTaxonomic Subphylum
SuperClassTaxonomic Superclass
ClassTaxonomic Class
SubClassTaxonomic Subclass
SuperOrderTaxonomic Superorder
OrderTaxonomic Order
SuperFamilyTaxonomic Superfamily
FamilyTaxonomic Family
SubFamilyTaxonomic Subfamily
GenusTaxonomic Genus
SpeciesTaxonomic Species
SubspeciesTaxonomic Subspecies


Table of Contents

Introduction

Station Descriptions

Surface-Water Data

Ground-Water Data

Meteorological Data

Biological Data