ENVIRNOMENTAL - Interpreting Existing site/envirn. conditions Flashcards
(35 cards)
Catchment Areas aka market, trade, or tributary area
geographic area from which
the participants in an activity are drawn. It grows and shrinks with the activity.
Residential Catchment Areas
determined by local transit systems.
Proctor Compaction Test
Geotechnical tests to determine the maximum, practically achievable, density of soils and aggregates.
Percolation test
test method to determine the rate at which soil absorbs effluent. Used
to test suitably of soil for a leachfield.
Survey - Baseline
parallel (line that follows latitudes of earth) used as the basis for the east‐
! west layout of the US Survey system
Survey - Parallels
parallels between the baselines in the US Survey
Survey - Principle Meridian
meridian (north-south line that follows longitude of earth) that
! serves as the basis for the north‐south grid layout of the US Survey
Survey - Guide Meridian
meridians between the principal meridians
Survey - Benchmark
standard or point of reference against which things may be compared
Survey - Metes and Bounds
verbal description of land that begins at a known point and
describes the bearing and length of each side of the property until the point of the
beginning is reached
Topography - Contour Intervals
change in elevation between two contours. Smaller scaled maps typically have a larger interval for clarity.
Topography - Crown/Ridge
contours point “down” toward the lower elevation
Topography - Swale/valley
contours point “up” towards the higher elevation
Topography - Hill
concentric circles with elevations getting higher towards the center
Topography - Depression
concentric circles with the elevations getting lower towards the center
Topography - Frost line
max depth at which soil will freeze. Below, the soil stays warmer than
freezing.
Water - Swamp
wetland that features permanent inundation of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water, generally with a substantial number of hummocks, or dry‐land protrusions
Water - Swale
an elongated depression in the land surface that is at least seasonally wet, is usually vegetated and is normally without flowing water.
Water - Detention pond
low lying area that is designed to temporarily hold a set amount of water while slowly draining to another location. They are more or less around for flood control when large amounts of rain could cause flash flooding if not dealt with properly
Water - Retention pond
designed to hold a specific amount of water indefinitely. Usually the pond is designed to have drainage leading to another location when the water level gets above the pond capacity, but still maintains a certain capacity
Water - Riparian Rights
system of rights and duties that determine the reasonable use, duties, !and allocations of water to owners of waterfront property (includes bottomland, beach, and upland, but not the water itself). Owners can use water adjacent to their property, but can’t infringe upon the rights of others to use the water.
Water - Sheet flow
water that flows across paved surfaces.
Water - Aquifer
permeable stratum of soil material that allows the passage of water under
ground and is the water source for wells
Water - Hydrology
the study of the occurrence, movement, and quality of water on a site.
