Alabama Water Quality Information System

— Choose a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) —


	1.-		Are constructed wetlands as efficient as natural wetlands for water purification and flood control?


	2.-		Are there any signs of saline or sodic soil problems that should be readily apparent to a producer growing crops on these soils?


	3.-		Can land-based farming methods that increase organic matter in soils benefit agriculture productivity and water quality?


	4.-		Can polyelectrolytes be used to stabilize colloidal suspensions or keep neutral particles dispersed in an aqueous solution?


	5.-		Can wetting agents improve the efficiency of irrigation water?


	6.-		How can blue-green algae or cyanobacteria survive on land surface areas that regularly undergo changes from wet and cool to hot and dry conditions?


	7.-		How does an aquifer become contaminated?


	8.-		How does capillarity affect soil water holding capacity?


	9.-		How does natural purification of liquid water work on earth?


	10.-		How does one measure salinity and sodicity of a soil?


	11.-		How important is soil humus to good soil quality and water quality?


	12.-		How is healthy soil linked to healthy water?


	13.-		How much salt can saline irrigation water add to the soil?


	14.-		Lead (Pb) is a concern in drinking water but what soil test lead (Pb) level is considered safe for human exposure?


	15.-		What actions, activities or practices tend to reduce natural water purification?


	16.-		What are the appropriate procedures for using bentonite clay to seal a pond that is losing water through bottom seapage?


	17.-		What are the common problems or difficulties associated with use of saline water for irrigation and how do you prevent such problems?


	18.-		What are the common problems or difficulties associated with use of sodic water for irrigation?


	19.-		What are the typical applications of cathodic protection for corrosion control?


	20.-		What causes a soil to be saline and/or sodic?


	21.-		What determines bioavailability and speed at which a particular pollutant moves through soil?


	22.-		What determines vulnerability of groundwater to contamination from surface activities?


	23.-		What exactly is soil organic matter?


	24.-		What is a saline seep?


	25.-		What is an adjusted sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) commonly used to classify irrigation water quality?


	26.-		What is carbon sequestration and how does it affect climate and water?


	27.-		What is meant by "surface and ground water interaction"?


	28.-		What is natural water purification?


	29.-		What is the typical size range for particles commonly referred to as colloids?


	30.-		What lead (Pb) concentrations are typically found in soils of the United States?

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This website was developed by the ACES Water Quality Team, under the leadership of Dr. James E. Hairston. It is funded, in part, by USDA-CSREES water quality grant support under Section 406 of the Agricultural Research, Extension and Education Reform Act of 1998.