Watershed Test
Answer the following questions on your “Ghetto Scantron Sheet.” When you finish, turn in your test and remain
quiet until others are finished.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Which of the following lists contain only the EPA’s
important beneficial uses for watersheds?
A. Agriculture, Urban Development, Drinking water
B. Urban Development, Recreation, Fish and
Shellfish consumption
C. Fish and Shellfish consumption, Aquatic Life
habitats, Drinking water
D. Swimming, Boating, Canoeing, Rope swinging,
Cleaning stuff.
What Federal agency is responsible for assessing and
monitoring the bodies of water in the U.S.?
A. Environmental Precipitation Association
B. Environmental Principle Agency
C. Environmental Protection Association
D. Environmental Protection Agency
What Act of Legislation gave them the power to
monitor and assess our nation’s watersheds?
A. Clean Air Act of 1972
B. Clean Water Act of 1972
C. Clean Air Act of 1792
D. Clean Water Act of 1792
If a body of water receives a level 1 assessment by
the EPA, it means that the water is:
A. Clean
B. Dirty
C. Not too clean and not too dirty
If a body of water receives a level 3 assessment by
the EPA, it means that the water is:
A. Clean
B. Dirty
C. Not too clean and not too dirty
If a body of water receives a level 5 assessment by
the EPA, it means that the water is:
A. Clean
B. Dirty
C. Not too clean and not too dirty
7.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a
watershed?
A. Trinity River Basin
B. Cooper Creek River Basin
C. Lake Ray Roberts Watershed
D. The Pacific Ocean
8.
Which of the following has the Highest Albedo
value?
A. Fresh Snow
B. A Mirror
C. Black Pavement
D. Trees
9.
Which of the following has the Lowest Albedo value?
A. Fresh Snow
B. A Mirror
C. Black Pavement
D. Trees
10. Based on albedo alone, in which of the following
areas would you expect there to be MORE
evaporation?
A. A white sandy beach
B. A well forested area
C. A black volcanic beach
D. A glacier
11. Which of the following factors does NOT affect
climate?
A. Aspect
B. Precipitation
C. Humidity
D. Wind
12. Which type of soil would you expect to have more
moisture?
A. Sandy soil
B. Clay soil
13. Topography refers to _____ and ______
A. Slope, Direction
B. Aspect, Precipitation
C. Slope, Aspect
D. Rise, Run
14. Aspect is:
A. The direction a slope faces
B. The elevation of a slope
C. The direction the slope moves
D. The steepness of a slope
15. Which of the following helps most to reduce runoff?
A. Urban Development
B. Agriculture
C. Timber production
D. Vegetation
16. Which of the following is NOT a natural factor that
can affect watershed health?
A. Fires
B. Floods
C. Mining
D. Earthquakes
17. Which of the following is NOT a land use that can
affect watershed health?
A. Volcanoes
B. Timber Production
C. Urban development
D. Flood control measures
18. What are the two most detrimental land uses in a
watershed?
A. Volcanoes and mining
B. Timber Production and Earthquakes
C. Urban Development and Agriculture
D. Flood Control and Floods
19. How does climate affect a watershed?
A. It determines the amount of water input and
output in a watershed.
B. It determines if the watershed will absorb water
or not.
C. It determines how fast water will be moved
through a watershed.
D. It does not affect watersheds.
20. What are the two most detrimental sources of
pollution in a watershed?
A. Agricultural and Educational runoff
B. A Mayoral and Gubernatorial runoff
C. Agricultural and Urban runoff
D. Agricultural and Industrial runoff
21. Which of the following is the government agency
responsible for assessing water quality in Texas?
A. Texas Environmental Protection Agency
B. The Environmental Protection Agency of Texas
C. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
D. Texas Commission of Watershed Management
22. Which of the following describes the difference
between point source (PSP) and nonpoint source
pollution (NPSP)?
A. PSP cannot be traced back to a source while
NPSP can.
B. PSP only affects river systems while NPSP affects
oceans and rivers.
C. PSP and NPSP both end up in the oceans.
D. PSP can be traced to a specific location while
NPSP is an accumulation from large areas of
runoff.
23. Which of the following was the specific point source
pollution caused by Columbia Packing Co. in Dallas,
TX?
A. Cow Blood
B. Pig Blood
C. Pork Fat
D. Nuclear Contamination
24. Which of the following best explains Best
Management Practices (BMP)?
A. Practices utilized by humans to limit the amount
of pollutants that enter watersheds.
B. Practices established by the government to
reduce the monetary cost associated with
pollution.
C. Practices used by corporations trying to increase
productivity while limiting higher costs
associated with pollution management.
D. None of the above.
25. Which of the following is NOT an example of a BMP?
A. Using erosion inhibiting fencing at construction
sites.
B. Performing routine maintenance on your septic
system.
C. Using landfill liners to trap and process liquid
wastes.
D. Fining companies that do not uphold pollution
control measures.
26. Which of the following is NOT a benefit of vegetation
in a watershed?
A. Slows runoff.
B. Increases soil compaction.
C. Reduces raindrop splash.
D. Reduces sediment runoff.
Use the following graph to answer questions 27-29.
30. Which of the following is NOT a concern in
agriculture/grazing in watersheds?
A. Sedimentation
B. Destruction of Riparian Zones
C. Feedlot runoff
D. Cattle deaths
31. If a watershed is graded “unattainable,” what does
that mean about the watershed?
A. It does not support any of the 5 beneficial uses
established by the EPA.
B. It should not be used for recreation.
C. It should probably be fenced off from the public.
D. All of the above could be true
32. Where do most pollutants end up?
A. The ocean
B. Clouds
C. Grasslands
D. None of the above
Use the following pictures to answer questions 33-38.
27. Which area has the most runoff after a storm?
A. Urban
B. Agricultural
C. Agricultural-Forest
D. Forest
A.
B.
28. Which area has the ability to absorb more water
from a storm?
A. Urban
B. Agricultural
C. Agricultural-Forest
D. Forest
29. Which of the following would you expect to see the
most runoff?
A. Dallas
B. Denton
C. Ponder
D. Pilot Point
Mountainous
Grassy Plain
C.
Forested Hilltops
33. Which watershed would you expect to have less
runoff with respect to topography?
34. Which watershed would you expect to have less
runoff with respect to vegetation?
35. Which watershed would you expect to have more
absorption of water?
36. Which watershed would you expect to see more soil
moisture?
37. Which watershed would serve as the best recharge
zone for groundwater?
38. Which watershed would experience the most
erosion?