Clean Water Act and US Waterways Quiz

What was the law that gave federal protection to US waterways from pollution from industries?

• Clean Air Act

• National Environmental Policy Act

• Clean Water Act

• Endangered Species Act

Which river is described as the main artery of New Mexico?

• Rio Pueblo

• Rio Grande

• Rio Fernando

• Santa Fe River

What type of waterways flow year-round, all the time?

• Ephemeral

• Perennial

• Isolated

• Intermittent

What did the Obama administration's Clean Water Rule establish in 2015?

• Exclusion of intermittent and ephemeral water bodies from federal protection

• Stricter penalties for polluters in water bodies

• No change in the federal protection of water bodies

• Protection for all types of water under the Clean Water Act

What did the Trump administration's ruling in 2020 exclude from federal protection?

• Perennial water bodies

• Intermittent and ephemeral water bodies

• Isolated wetlands only

• All types of water bodies

What percentage of US rivers and streams lost federal protection due to the Trump administration's ruling?

• 10%

• 30%

• 50%

• 90%

What impact did the Trump administration's ruling have on local and state governments?

• Reduced taxes for cleaning water

• Increased cost for cleaning water

• Increased federal funding for cleaning water

• No impact on local and state governments

What did the 2015 water report inform about the different types of water sources?

• They are all connected

• They have separate ecosystems

• They are not connected

• They have no impact on each other

What did the Trump administration's ruling mean for the fate of waterways under the Clean Water Act?

• Looser protections

• Stricter protections from the Obama era

• No change in protections

• Complete deregulation

What is the likely action of the Biden administration regarding the Trump administration's ruling?

• Maintain the ruling

• Revert back to stricter protections from the Obama era

• Introduce even looser protections

• Completely deregulate waterways