Practice Test Geeks(CESSWI) Certified Erosion, Sediment, and Storm Water Inspector Practice Test
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Stormwater Runoff Management Flashcards

7 cards from real CESSWI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Stormwater Runoff Management flashcards as text

  1. Which curve number (CN) value in the TR-55 method indicates the LEAST runoff potential from a given soil and land use combination?

    Answer: 35

    Lower curve numbers indicate greater infiltration and less runoff potential; a CN of 35 represents a highly permeable soil with dense vegetation, while 98 represents nearly impervious surfaces.

  2. What term describes the practice of directing rooftop downspouts away from impervious surfaces and toward vegetated areas to promote infiltration?

    Answer: Downspout disconnection

    Downspout disconnection redirects roof drainage to lawns, gardens, or rain gardens rather than directly into the storm sewer, reducing runoff volume.

  3. A permeable pavement system fails to drain adequately after several years of use. What is the most likely cause?

    Answer: Clogging of pores by fine sediments and debris

    Fine sediment and organic debris accumulate in the pores of permeable pavement over time, reducing infiltration rates and requiring vacuum sweeping maintenance.

  4. Which NRCS hydrologic soil group has the HIGHEST runoff potential due to very slow infiltration rates?

    Answer: Group D

    Hydrologic Soil Group D soils (such as clays) have very slow infiltration rates, high runoff potential, and are typically wet, shallow, or have impermeable layers.

  5. During a CESSWI inspection, you observe that a site's temporary sediment basin outlet riser is submerged with no freeboard remaining. What is your immediate concern?

    Answer: Potential overtopping and embankment failure

    When freeboard is lost, the embankment is at risk of overtopping, which can cause rapid erosion and catastrophic failure of the sediment basin.

  6. Which of the following best describes the concept of 'water quality volume' (WQv) in stormwater management?

    Answer: The volume of runoff from a design storm used to size water quality BMPs

    Water quality volume is the runoff volume from a specified small storm (often 1-inch or the 90th percentile event) used to size BMPs for pollutant removal and volume reduction.

  7. What is the primary mechanism by which a vegetated filter strip reduces stormwater pollutant loads?

    Answer: Sedimentation and infiltration as sheet flow passes through dense vegetation

    Vegetated filter strips slow sheet flow, allowing sediment to settle and runoff to infiltrate, removing particulate-bound pollutants from stormwater.