Water Quality & Management Flashcards
7 cards from real CEP 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 stormwater management approach mimics natural hydrology by infiltrating, filtering, and evapotranspiring runoff near its source?
Answer: Low Impact Development (LID)
Low Impact Development uses distributed, small-scale practices like bioretention, permeable pavement, and green roofs to manage stormwater close to the source.
Under CWA Section 404, which agency issues permits for dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States?
Answer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers administers the Section 404 permit program for dredge and fill activities in waters of the United States, including wetlands.
What is a groundwater recharge zone?
Answer: A zone where water infiltrates from the surface to replenish an aquifer
A groundwater recharge zone is an area where precipitation or surface water infiltrates through permeable soils and rock to replenish an underlying aquifer.
Which water quality parameter measures the amount of oxygen required by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water?
Answer: Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
BOD measures the amount of oxygen consumed by biological decomposition of organic matter over a standard five-day period at 20°C.
What is the primary cause of saltwater intrusion in coastal aquifers?
Answer: Excessive groundwater pumping that reduces freshwater head pressure
Excessive groundwater extraction lowers the freshwater head in coastal aquifers, allowing denser saltwater to migrate landward and contaminate the aquifer.
Which type of wetland performs the most significant water quality function by removing nutrients through plant uptake and denitrification?
Answer: Constructed treatment wetlands
Constructed treatment wetlands are specifically designed to maximize water quality improvement through controlled conditions that optimize plant uptake, sedimentation, and microbial denitrification.
What federal program requires municipalities with separate storm sewer systems serving populations over 100,000 to obtain NPDES permits?
Answer: Phase I MS4 program
The Phase I MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) program, established in 1990, requires large and medium municipalities to obtain NPDES permits for stormwater discharges.