What does WWQ mean in OCEAN SCIENCE

Watershed water quality is a measure of the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and groundwater in a particular drainage basin. It is affected by land use activities, natural processes, and human behavior. This includes such factors as temperature, turbidity/clarity, sedimentation, nutrients, pathogens, toxins, metals and other pollutants.

Human activity can have both positive and negative impacts on watershed water quality. Activities such as agricultural runoff from fertilizer or manure application can increase nutrient levels in the watershed. Construction or introduced pollutants can contribute to sediment loading or introduce other contaminants.

Good watershed water quality provides numerous benefits for humans and the environment including clean drinking water sources; healthy aquatic life; sustainable fisheries; recreational opportunities; nutrient cycling which helps plants thrive; protection against erosion and flooding; improved air quality; scenic landscapes; and economic benefits associated with tourism.

Some of the most common pollutants that affect watershed water quality include sediment (from soil erosion), nutrients (from sewage effluent/fertilizers), agricultural chemicals (herbicides & pesticides), heavy metals (from industrial waste), petroleum products (fuel spills) and household chemicals (cleaning supplies).

There are many ways you can help improve your local watershed water quality! These include volunteering for cleanup efforts, reducing your consumption of single-use plastic items to reduce pollution from plastic waste entering local waterways, preventing over-application of fertilizers or pesticides on lawns or gardens to reduce runoff into nearby bodies of water, being mindful of potential sources of oil and fuel spills around your home or property that could enter into storm drains connected to local waterways.

Yes! Governments at all levels implement laws to protect their watersheds and they typically require regular monitoring of their surface waters in order to determine if pollutant concentrations meet legal requirements set forth in those regulations. Additionally there are often specific regulations set forth by local jurisdictions that address how surface waters must be managed within their boundaries in order to protect against degradation due to human activities.

Surface water monitoring consists of assessing physical parameters such as pH levels, dissolved oxygen concentration, temperature as well as chemical parameters like nutrient content or metal concentrations so that any changes from normal levels can be detected quickly and corrective actions taken if needed.. In addition biological indicators like fish populations may also be monitored for signs of stress caused by poor water quality conditions.

Poor watershed water quality conditions are usually caused by factors such as inadequate wastewater treatment systems leading to increased nutrient & chemical inputs into surface waters from urban areas or agricultural runoff carrying elevated levels of silt & sediments from cropland areas due to inadequate land management techniques.

Stormwater runoff is one of the most common causes of nonpoint source pollution because it carries whatever pollutants it accumulates along its path into our streams & rivers which then eventually end up in our lakes & oceans negatively affecting our wildlife habitats & public health.

Point source pollution describes pollution emitted directly from a discrete source like a manufacturing facility while nonpoint source pollution refers to pollution that arises indirectly from diffuse sources like urban runoff.