Surface Water Final Exam: Questions, Answers & Complete Revision Guide
The hydraulic residence time is defined as:
A. Lake volume divided by the total water inflow rate
B. Lake outflow rate divided by lake volume
C. Lake volume divided by the sum of all water flows out of the lake
D. The sum of all water outflows except evaporation divided by lake volume
E. None of the above - correct answer ✔✔E. None of the above
Which are examples of non-point source discharges?
A. Wastewater treatment plant discharges
B. Septic tank leachate
C. The discharge of cooling water from a coal-fired power plant
D. Highway runoff
E. Combined sewer outflows - correct answer ✔✔B. Septic tank leachate
D. Highway runoff
Which of the following are non-point sources of nutrients to surface waters?
A. Farms
B. Wastewater treatment plants
C. Storm sewers in small towns
D. Fertilized lawns and golf courses
E. All of the above - correct answer ✔✔A. Farms
D. Fertilized lawns and golf courses
,What percentage of rainfall is taken by blue water flows? - correct answer ✔✔35% of rainfall is
taken
Which of the following contains three common hydraulic lake categories?
A. Lakes, Streams/Rivers, Wetlands
B. Drainage Lakes, Seepage Lakes, Coastal Lakes
C. Glacial lakes, Tectonic lakes, River-formed lakes
D. Drainage lakes, Seepage lakes, Groundwater recharge lakes, Closed-basin lakes
E. Closed-basin lakes, Brackish lakes, Graben lakes - correct answer ✔✔D. Drainage lakes,
Seepage lakes, Groundwater recharge lakes, Closed-basin lakes
Surface waters include which of the following?
A. Only lakes and rivers/streams
B. Oceans, lakes and rivers/streams
C. All "blue" water
D. Lakes, rivers/streams, wetlands
E. "Blue" and "green" water - correct answer ✔✔D. Lakes, rivers/streams, wetlands
What are three types of mixing regime in lakes? - correct answer ✔✔Can list any of the
following:
Holomictic, amictic, oligomictic, dimictic, polymictic, monomictic, and meromictic
What are the three nutrient level categories of lakes? - correct answer ✔✔Oligotrophic,
eutrophic, and mesotrophic
Which of the following are true statements?
A. Blue water is unpolluted surface water
,B. Green water is nutrient-rich surface waters
C. Blue water includes only lakes and rivers/streams
D. Green water is water evapotranspired by plants
E. Green water is soil water in the unsaturated zone - correct answer ✔✔D. Green water is
water evapotranspired by plants
E. Green water is soil water in the unsaturated zone
Which of the following are actual designated uses for surface waters?
A. Drinking water supply
B. Agricultural source water
C. Cooling source water
D. Cold water wildlife habitat
E. Boating - correct answer ✔✔A. Drinking water supply
B. Agricultural source water
D. Cold water wildlife habitat
At steady state, what conditions exist?
A. All inputs are zero
B. Inputs and outputs are equal
C. There are no internal reactions
D. Concentrations are not changing with time
E. Concentrations in a lake asymptotically approach zero - correct answer ✔✔B. Inputs and
outputs are equal
D. Concentrations are not changing with time
What are three possible choices of phosphorus entering a lake? - correct answer ✔✔Any of the
following responses:
, Wastewater discharge
Industrial discharge
Agricultural runoff
Septic runoff
Stormwater discharge
List four common types (not specific chemicals) of water pollutants - correct answer ✔✔Any of
the following responses:
Trace metals
Pharmaceuticals
Microplastics
Biocides
Industrial
Which of the following are common pathways by which biocides reach surface waters?
A. Landfill leachate
B. Septic tank leachate
C. Municipal waste water treatment plants
D. Parking lot runoff
E. Agricultural runoff - correct answer ✔✔E. Agricultural runoff
What US federal law currently regulates surface water quality?
A. The Rivers and Harbors Act
B. Water Pollution Prevention Act (WPPA)
C. Clean Water Act (CWA)
D. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
The hydraulic residence time is defined as:
A. Lake volume divided by the total water inflow rate
B. Lake outflow rate divided by lake volume
C. Lake volume divided by the sum of all water flows out of the lake
D. The sum of all water outflows except evaporation divided by lake volume
E. None of the above - correct answer ✔✔E. None of the above
Which are examples of non-point source discharges?
A. Wastewater treatment plant discharges
B. Septic tank leachate
C. The discharge of cooling water from a coal-fired power plant
D. Highway runoff
E. Combined sewer outflows - correct answer ✔✔B. Septic tank leachate
D. Highway runoff
Which of the following are non-point sources of nutrients to surface waters?
A. Farms
B. Wastewater treatment plants
C. Storm sewers in small towns
D. Fertilized lawns and golf courses
E. All of the above - correct answer ✔✔A. Farms
D. Fertilized lawns and golf courses
,What percentage of rainfall is taken by blue water flows? - correct answer ✔✔35% of rainfall is
taken
Which of the following contains three common hydraulic lake categories?
A. Lakes, Streams/Rivers, Wetlands
B. Drainage Lakes, Seepage Lakes, Coastal Lakes
C. Glacial lakes, Tectonic lakes, River-formed lakes
D. Drainage lakes, Seepage lakes, Groundwater recharge lakes, Closed-basin lakes
E. Closed-basin lakes, Brackish lakes, Graben lakes - correct answer ✔✔D. Drainage lakes,
Seepage lakes, Groundwater recharge lakes, Closed-basin lakes
Surface waters include which of the following?
A. Only lakes and rivers/streams
B. Oceans, lakes and rivers/streams
C. All "blue" water
D. Lakes, rivers/streams, wetlands
E. "Blue" and "green" water - correct answer ✔✔D. Lakes, rivers/streams, wetlands
What are three types of mixing regime in lakes? - correct answer ✔✔Can list any of the
following:
Holomictic, amictic, oligomictic, dimictic, polymictic, monomictic, and meromictic
What are the three nutrient level categories of lakes? - correct answer ✔✔Oligotrophic,
eutrophic, and mesotrophic
Which of the following are true statements?
A. Blue water is unpolluted surface water
,B. Green water is nutrient-rich surface waters
C. Blue water includes only lakes and rivers/streams
D. Green water is water evapotranspired by plants
E. Green water is soil water in the unsaturated zone - correct answer ✔✔D. Green water is
water evapotranspired by plants
E. Green water is soil water in the unsaturated zone
Which of the following are actual designated uses for surface waters?
A. Drinking water supply
B. Agricultural source water
C. Cooling source water
D. Cold water wildlife habitat
E. Boating - correct answer ✔✔A. Drinking water supply
B. Agricultural source water
D. Cold water wildlife habitat
At steady state, what conditions exist?
A. All inputs are zero
B. Inputs and outputs are equal
C. There are no internal reactions
D. Concentrations are not changing with time
E. Concentrations in a lake asymptotically approach zero - correct answer ✔✔B. Inputs and
outputs are equal
D. Concentrations are not changing with time
What are three possible choices of phosphorus entering a lake? - correct answer ✔✔Any of the
following responses:
, Wastewater discharge
Industrial discharge
Agricultural runoff
Septic runoff
Stormwater discharge
List four common types (not specific chemicals) of water pollutants - correct answer ✔✔Any of
the following responses:
Trace metals
Pharmaceuticals
Microplastics
Biocides
Industrial
Which of the following are common pathways by which biocides reach surface waters?
A. Landfill leachate
B. Septic tank leachate
C. Municipal waste water treatment plants
D. Parking lot runoff
E. Agricultural runoff - correct answer ✔✔E. Agricultural runoff
What US federal law currently regulates surface water quality?
A. The Rivers and Harbors Act
B. Water Pollution Prevention Act (WPPA)
C. Clean Water Act (CWA)
D. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA)
