VA DEQ ESC Inspector Exam Questions
and Answers 2026/2027 |Already
Graded A+| Verified and Updated
Sheet Flow - CORRECT ANSWER -a shallow layer of water flowing more or less
uniformly over the land.
Can effectively transport sediment particles kept in suspension from the action of
falling raindrops in a disturbed area.
Concentrated Flow - CORRECT ANSWER -A result of the depth of sheet flow and
irregularities in the soil surface (low spots, depressions, rocks, plant stems, roots,
etc.).
Runoff starts in tiny rills and then expands into large gullies, aquiring more energy
to detach and transport soil particles.
> water volume = > velocity and turbulence = > soil dislodged
Suspended soil particles strike and abrade the soils surface like sandpaper, causing
more soil particles to detach and mobilize, further increasing abrasive force.
,The energy of runoff is a function of? - CORRECT ANSWER -- Slope gradient
- Slope length
- Volume of runoff
Water Quality Impacts of Runoff and Envronmental Implications - CORRECT
ANSWER -2nd most prevalent source of water quality impairment in VA's estuaries
(Agriculture is #1)
- sediment shades lower layer of waterway, killing aquatic vegetation, so less
oxygen in water creating death :(
- sediment plugs gills suffocating critters, introduces toxins into bodies of animals
- sediment smothers reefs, oyster beds, spawning beds, etc. when it settles
- economy hurt due to decreased commercial fishing yields
Principles of ESC - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Erosion Control
2. Sediment Control
,ORDER IS RELEVANT
1st Line of Defense - CORRECT ANSWER -Vegetative Eroision Control
- inexpesive
- easy to install
2nd Line of Defense - CORRECT ANSWER -Structural Sediment Control
- expensive
- Requires Maintenance
Contour Line - CORRECT ANSWER -a line on a map connecting points on a land
surface that are the same elevation above sea level
Contour Interval - CORRECT ANSWER -the interval between contour lines on a
map or the altitude the interval represents
contour lines close together = small contour interval = steep slope
, contour lines further apart = large contour interval = not as steep
Cut and Fill - CORRECT ANSWER -the excavating of material in one place and the
depositing of it nearby
if a contour map runs R to L, an existing line (dashed) to the left of the proposed
line (solid) represents a cut; an existing line to the right of the proposed line
represents a fill
Drainage - CORRECT ANSWER -always flows perpendicular to contour lines
Valleys and Swales - CORRECT ANSWER -a long low area of land, often with a
drainage way, river or stream running through it, which is surrounded by higher
ground
represented by contours that point towards higher numbers
Ridge - CORRECT ANSWER -a long narrow hilltop or range of hills
represented by contours that point toward lower numbers
and Answers 2026/2027 |Already
Graded A+| Verified and Updated
Sheet Flow - CORRECT ANSWER -a shallow layer of water flowing more or less
uniformly over the land.
Can effectively transport sediment particles kept in suspension from the action of
falling raindrops in a disturbed area.
Concentrated Flow - CORRECT ANSWER -A result of the depth of sheet flow and
irregularities in the soil surface (low spots, depressions, rocks, plant stems, roots,
etc.).
Runoff starts in tiny rills and then expands into large gullies, aquiring more energy
to detach and transport soil particles.
> water volume = > velocity and turbulence = > soil dislodged
Suspended soil particles strike and abrade the soils surface like sandpaper, causing
more soil particles to detach and mobilize, further increasing abrasive force.
,The energy of runoff is a function of? - CORRECT ANSWER -- Slope gradient
- Slope length
- Volume of runoff
Water Quality Impacts of Runoff and Envronmental Implications - CORRECT
ANSWER -2nd most prevalent source of water quality impairment in VA's estuaries
(Agriculture is #1)
- sediment shades lower layer of waterway, killing aquatic vegetation, so less
oxygen in water creating death :(
- sediment plugs gills suffocating critters, introduces toxins into bodies of animals
- sediment smothers reefs, oyster beds, spawning beds, etc. when it settles
- economy hurt due to decreased commercial fishing yields
Principles of ESC - CORRECT ANSWER -1. Erosion Control
2. Sediment Control
,ORDER IS RELEVANT
1st Line of Defense - CORRECT ANSWER -Vegetative Eroision Control
- inexpesive
- easy to install
2nd Line of Defense - CORRECT ANSWER -Structural Sediment Control
- expensive
- Requires Maintenance
Contour Line - CORRECT ANSWER -a line on a map connecting points on a land
surface that are the same elevation above sea level
Contour Interval - CORRECT ANSWER -the interval between contour lines on a
map or the altitude the interval represents
contour lines close together = small contour interval = steep slope
, contour lines further apart = large contour interval = not as steep
Cut and Fill - CORRECT ANSWER -the excavating of material in one place and the
depositing of it nearby
if a contour map runs R to L, an existing line (dashed) to the left of the proposed
line (solid) represents a cut; an existing line to the right of the proposed line
represents a fill
Drainage - CORRECT ANSWER -always flows perpendicular to contour lines
Valleys and Swales - CORRECT ANSWER -a long low area of land, often with a
drainage way, river or stream running through it, which is surrounded by higher
ground
represented by contours that point towards higher numbers
Ridge - CORRECT ANSWER -a long narrow hilltop or range of hills
represented by contours that point toward lower numbers
