Discover North Carolina's River Basins Quiz

What is a river basin?

• A large body of water surrounded by land

• The land that water flows across or under on its way to a river

• A type of wetland

• A place where rivers are born

How many major river basins are there in North Carolina?

• 10

• 15

• 17

• 20

What is a watershed?

• A type of wetland

• An area of land around a smaller river, stream, or lake

• A small river

• A large body of water

What role do wetlands play in the environment?

• They are a source of drinking water

• They are a type of river basin

• They help regulate water flow and filter pollutants

• They are used for recreational activities

What is groundwater?

• Water that flows over the land surface

• Water that evaporates into the atmosphere

• Water that is stored in rivers and lakes

• Water that infiltrates the soil and is stored underground

Why is biodiversity important?

• Humans depend on biodiversity for food, medicine and balanced natural systems.

• It increases the number of rivers

• It reduces the amount of rainfall

• It decreases the number of wetlands

What is the main cause of nonpoint source pollution?

• Pollution from land use activities within a river basin

• Pollution from a single, identifiable source

• Pollution from natural disasters

• Pollution from industrial waste

What is the purpose of vegetative buffers along streams and rivers?

• To increase water flow

• To increase fish populations

• To provide recreational areas

• To protect banks from erosion and reduce pollution

What is the Stream Watch program?

• A program to monitor air quality

• A wildlife conservation program

• A citizen monitoring program for waterways

• A government initiative to build dams

What is the main goal of the federal Clean Water Act of 1972?

• To make all the nation’s waters fishable and swimmable

• To reduce the number of rivers

• To build more dams

• To increase the number of wetlands