AEP AEP Water Resources & Hydrology 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law establishes the 'Waters of the United States' (WOTUS) jurisdiction for Section 404 wetland permits?
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Clean Water Act (Correct answer)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- Coastal Zone Management Act
Correct answer: Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 program, administered by the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA, regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into WOTUS.
Question 2: What does the 'Safe Yield' concept represent in groundwater management?
- The maximum contamination level allowable in drinking water
- The rate at which groundwater can be extracted without depleting the aquifer over time (Correct answer)
- The volume of water stored in an aquifer at any given time
- The minimum streamflow needed to protect aquatic habitat
Correct answer: The rate at which groundwater can be extracted without depleting the aquifer over time
Safe yield is the long-term rate of groundwater extraction that can be sustained without causing unacceptable declines in water table levels or degrading water quality.
Question 3: Which hydrological term describes the process by which water moves downward through the soil from the surface to the water table?
- Evapotranspiration
- Percolation (Correct answer)
- Runoff
- Interception
Correct answer: Percolation
Percolation is the downward movement of water through the unsaturated (vadose) zone of the soil under the force of gravity until it reaches the saturated zone.
Question 4: Under the Clean Water Act, which permit program regulates stormwater discharges from construction activities disturbing 1 or more acres?
- NPDES Construction General Permit (Correct answer)
- Section 404 Permit
- Section 402 Individual Permit
- TMDL Permit
Correct answer: NPDES Construction General Permit
The NPDES Construction General Permit requires operators of construction sites disturbing 1 acre or more to implement best management practices (BMPs) and develop a SWPPP.
Question 5: What is a 'Total Maximum Daily Load' (TMDL) as defined under the Clean Water Act?
- The maximum daily volume of water that can be withdrawn from a river
- The maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards (Correct answer)
- The daily treatment capacity of a municipal water treatment plant
- The maximum contaminant level for drinking water sources
Correct answer: The maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards
A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive from all sources (point and nonpoint) and still meet water quality standards.
Question 6: Which type of aquifer is fully saturated and bounded above and below by impermeable layers, resulting in water that rises above the aquifer top when a well is drilled?
- Unconfined aquifer
- Perched aquifer
- Artesian (confined) aquifer (Correct answer)
- Karst aquifer
Correct answer: Artesian (confined) aquifer
An artesian or confined aquifer is bounded by impermeable layers above and below, creating hydraulic pressure that causes water to rise in a well above the top of the aquifer.
AEP AEP Water Resources & Hydrology 1
Which federal law establishes the 'Waters of the United States' (WOTUS) jurisdiction for Section 404 wetland permits?