CFS CFS Environmental & Ecological Considerations 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What federal act requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of actions that may significantly affect the quality of the human environment, including floodplain projects?
- Clean Water Act
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (Correct answer)
- Endangered Species Act
- Coastal Zone Management Act
Correct answer: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to prepare Environmental Assessments or Environmental Impact Statements for projects that may significantly affect the environment, including floodplain alterations.
Question 2: Which federal law regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States, directly affecting floodplain construction activities?
- Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (Correct answer)
- Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
- Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act
- Section 401 of the Safe Drinking Water Act
Correct answer: Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act requires a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before discharging dredge or fill material into wetlands and other waters of the United States.
Question 3: Riparian buffers adjacent to floodplains provide which primary ecological function relevant to flood management?
- Increasing channel velocity to reduce flood stage
- Filtering pollutants, stabilizing banks, and slowing floodwater (Correct answer)
- Preventing wetland formation in the floodplain
- Eliminating habitat for invasive species
Correct answer: Filtering pollutants, stabilizing banks, and slowing floodwater
Riparian buffers slow floodwater velocity, trap sediment and pollutants, stabilize streambanks, and maintain floodplain connectivity — all of which reduce downstream flood impacts.
Question 4: Wetlands within the floodplain are ecologically valuable partly because they provide what hydrologic service?
- Channelizing stormwater to speed drainage
- Temporary floodwater storage that reduces peak discharge downstream (Correct answer)
- Preventing groundwater recharge
- Increasing impervious surface runoff
Correct answer: Temporary floodwater storage that reduces peak discharge downstream
Floodplain wetlands act as natural sponges, temporarily storing floodwater and slowly releasing it, which reduces the peak flow and downstream flood risk.
Question 5: When a floodplain surveyor maps a Special Flood Hazard Area near a coastal barrier, which federal act may restrict development on that barrier?
- Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) (Correct answer)
- National Flood Insurance Reform Act
- Stafford Act
- Coastal Zone Management Act
Correct answer: Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA)
The Coastal Barrier Resources Act prohibits federal financial assistance, including NFIP flood insurance, for new construction within designated Coastal Barrier Resource System units to discourage environmentally harmful development.
Question 6: A floodplain manager proposes a levee that would remove 500 acres from the 100-year floodplain. Under NEPA, what document would typically be required before federal funding approval?
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (Correct answer)
- Categorical Exclusion (CATEX)
- Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
- Programmatic Environmental Assessment
Correct answer: Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
A large-scale levee project with major environmental consequences would typically require a full Environmental Impact Statement under NEPA before federal funding or permits are granted.
CFS CFS Environmental & Ecological Considerations 1
What federal act requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of actions that may significantly affect the quality of the human environment, including floodplain projects?