Water Quality & Management Flashcards
7 cards from real SAF practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Water Quality & Management flashcards as text
Which index is commonly used to assess the potential of a watershed to produce runoff, considering soil type and land cover?
Answer: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Curve Number (CN)
The NRCS Curve Number method estimates direct runoff from rainfall based on soil hydrologic group and land use/cover conditions.
Forested watersheds generally produce less streamflow than agricultural or urban watersheds of similar size because forests:
Answer: Have higher evapotranspiration rates that consume more precipitation
Forests have high evapotranspiration rates from both canopy interception and plant transpiration, reducing the proportion of precipitation that becomes streamflow.
The Rosgen stream classification system categorizes streams primarily based on:
Answer: Channel morphology including entrenchment ratio, width-to-depth ratio, and sinuosity
The Rosgen classification uses morphological parameters—entrenchment ratio, width-to-depth ratio, sinuosity, slope, and dominant substrate—to categorize stream types.
Which federal law establishes the framework for regulating nonpoint source water pollution from forestry operations at the state level?
Answer: Clean Water Act Section 319
Clean Water Act Section 319 provides grants to states to develop and implement nonpoint source management programs, including forestry BMPs.
A forester notices increased turbidity in a stream after a rain event following a recent harvest. The FIRST step in diagnosing the source should be:
Answer: Walk the drainage network to identify active erosion sources and sediment delivery points
Field reconnaissance to locate active erosion sources and their connectivity to streams is the first diagnostic step to effectively target remediation efforts.
What is 'baseflow' in watershed hydrology?
Answer: Streamflow sustained by groundwater discharge between storm events
Baseflow is the portion of streamflow contributed by groundwater discharge, which sustains stream flow during dry periods between precipitation events.
Large woody debris (LWD) in streams is important for water quality because it:
Answer: Creates pool habitat, retains sediment, and increases channel complexity
LWD creates hydraulic diversity, stores fine sediment and organic matter, and forms pool habitat that supports aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem function.