Question

Define watershed and the watershed approach to water quality management. What are the implications of water quality management regulations based on watershed management?

What are the primary laws/acts that regulate water quality in the US?

What federal and state agencies are responsible for regulating water quality? What role does each agency serve?

Can a small farm be required to have a permit to operate a waste management? If so, why would this be the case?

Define a nutrient management plan.

What are the important components of a nutrient management plan?

What nutrients are being regulated/managed?

Why is having proper nutrient management important?

When describing “animal welfare”, what conditions must be met and/or supplied for the animals as outlined in the Five Freedoms?

What does the phrase “a rat is a dog is a boy” imply?

Compare and contrast Animal Rights and Animal Welfare.

Name a leader that has helped advance Animal Rights in the US.

Name two animal rights groups.

Name leaders who have served as advocates for animal welfare.

Describe how property rights have been established and what protects a citizen’s property rights.

Answer 1

First Question:

Watershed: It is a land area which contains a common set of streams and rivers that all drain into a single larger body of water. It covers a smaller or larger land area & smaller watershed is usually part of the larger watershed. It includes all surface water and groundwater, soils, vegetation and animals, and human activities contained within its area.

Watershed management approach: It is a holistic approach to manage quantity and quality of water resources within a watershed. It also includes a proactive approach in areas where there is no immediate problems. It includes following features-

• Planning
• Data collection
• Assessment & targeting
• Strategy development
• Implementation

Watershed management has immense effects on water quality management regulations. By simply looking at the watersheds a regulator can evaluate the sources of pollution which are affecting the water quality and quantity. In this way we can reduce or inhibit the pollution & maintain environmental stability.

Second Question:

Laws that regulate water quality in the US:

• The Clean Water Act
• The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
• Bottled water is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

Third Question:

Agency	Role
International Boundary and Water Commission	Boundary & water treaties between the United States & Mexico & settles differences that may arise in their application.
Bureau of Reclamation	Operates federal water projects in 17 western states. In California, oversees the Central Valley Project.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)	Provides financial & technical assistance, flood hazard maps & data to better manage floodplains.
National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)	Conserves & protects living marine resources in California coastal areas, provides scientific & policy leadership & implements international conservation & management programs. Also protects Central Valley Chinook salmon & steelhead.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers	Responsible for flood control & levee construction & regulate navigable waterways & wetlands. Also runs the San Francisco Bay Model.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management	Manages 17 million acres of federal land in California.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency	Enforces federal laws that protect natural resources, including air, water & land.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service	Conserves & protects fish, wildlife & plants. It also coordinates with other federal agencies on the potential impact of federal projects.
U.S. Geological Survey	Collects, analyzes, and disseminates impartial hydrologic data & information.