Water Quality & Watershed Management Flashcards
6 cards from real CES practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Water Quality & Watershed Management flashcards as text
What is the primary federal law governing water quality in the United States?
Answer: Clean Water Act (CWA)
The Clean Water Act (1972) is the principal federal law regulating the discharge of pollutants into US waters and establishing water quality standards for surface waters.
What is a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)?
Answer: The maximum amount of a pollutant a water body can receive and still meet water quality standards
A TMDL calculates the maximum pollutant load a water body can assimilate while meeting water quality standards, allocating that capacity among point and nonpoint sources with a margin of safety.
What is the difference between point source and nonpoint source water pollution?
Answer: Point sources discharge from identifiable locations (pipes, outfalls); nonpoint sources come from diffuse areas (runoff, atmospheric deposition)
Point sources have discrete, identifiable discharge locations (factory pipes, sewage outfalls) regulated by NPDES permits. Nonpoint sources are diffuse (agricultural runoff, urban stormwater) and are harder to regulate.
What does BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) measure in water quality assessment?
Answer: The amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water
BOD measures the oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to break down organic material in water over a specified time (usually 5 days at 20°C). High BOD indicates high organic pollution.
What is a riparian buffer zone and why is it important for water quality?
Answer: A vegetated area along waterways that filters pollutants, stabilizes banks, and provides wildlife habitat
Riparian buffers are vegetated strips along streams and rivers that filter sediment and pollutants from runoff, stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion, moderate water temperature, and provide ecological habitat.
What is eutrophication and what causes it?
Answer: Excessive nutrient enrichment of water bodies causing algal blooms and oxygen depletion
Eutrophication occurs when excess nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) enter water bodies, stimulating excessive algae growth. When algae die and decompose, dissolved oxygen is depleted, harming aquatic life.