BRAE 349 FINAL UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
300 billion centuries - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Assuming you could...roughly how much
time would it take to count the water molecules (H2O) in one small drop of water at a rate of
one per second?
23.7 billion gallons (or about 72,700 Acre-Feet) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Assuming the
population in California is 39.5 million, how many gallons of water would be needed to make
the food to create 1 hamburger (use the quarter-pounder from lecture) for lunch for 1 day?
Assume grain-fed beef versus grass-fed beef.
1960s - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔When were the state water projects constructed in
California?
About 30 feet (according to Dr. Poland) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔How much subsidence
has occurred at Mendota, California after groundwater pumping?
Nitrates can cause health problems such as Blue Baby Syndrome - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔Why are nitrates in the groundwater an issue?
Difference between supply and demand of the snow pack/rainfall runoff water - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Why is reservoir storage needed in California?
Treated wastewater for ag and drinking water,
Seawater - Desalinization,
Improved efficiency for ag and urban water use
(all of the above) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Which of the following represent relatively
"new" sources of water in California?
850 million AF - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔How much water is stored as groundwater in
California (reservoir storage is about 40 Million AF)?
, 30% - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What percent of California groundwater is used as a key
source of water in a normal water year
1,926 feet and 1,120,000 Horsepower - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What is the lift (in feet)
and combined horsepower of the Edmonston Pumping Plant that moves water over the
Tehachapi Mountains to Southern California?
A majority of the rain water falls in the northern part of the state, but a majority of the
population is in the southern part of the state. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What is one of the
greatest issues in California's hydrology?
true - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔true or false... California's population grew by 700% in the
last 90 years. This growth rate is unsustainable.
Hydraulic pressure from upstream water source - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔How did
California miners in the mid-1800s get the hydraulic mining nozzles to work?
From 2.2 mAF in 1990 to 1.4 mAF in 2020 (even though the population has gone up) -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔From the interview with Randy Record (former MET Chair), how
much did the MET water demand change between 1990 and 2020?
No, it most cases it will increase water used by 10-15%. This is due to plants doing much
better with drip irrigation. This translates to higher yields but the plants are also transpiring
more. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Does drip irrigation save water in most ag operations?
Urban Use - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What is NOT a reason why there is pushback from
building more water storage in California?
No, it was very hard on the environment and has left surface scars that have lasted over 150
years and the practice flushed tons of sediment to downstream water users and disrupted
water rights of other users - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Was hydraulic mining considered a
sustainable method to mine gold?
Questions and CORRECT Answers
300 billion centuries - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Assuming you could...roughly how much
time would it take to count the water molecules (H2O) in one small drop of water at a rate of
one per second?
23.7 billion gallons (or about 72,700 Acre-Feet) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Assuming the
population in California is 39.5 million, how many gallons of water would be needed to make
the food to create 1 hamburger (use the quarter-pounder from lecture) for lunch for 1 day?
Assume grain-fed beef versus grass-fed beef.
1960s - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔When were the state water projects constructed in
California?
About 30 feet (according to Dr. Poland) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔How much subsidence
has occurred at Mendota, California after groundwater pumping?
Nitrates can cause health problems such as Blue Baby Syndrome - CORRECT ANSWER-
✔✔Why are nitrates in the groundwater an issue?
Difference between supply and demand of the snow pack/rainfall runoff water - CORRECT
ANSWER- ✔✔Why is reservoir storage needed in California?
Treated wastewater for ag and drinking water,
Seawater - Desalinization,
Improved efficiency for ag and urban water use
(all of the above) - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Which of the following represent relatively
"new" sources of water in California?
850 million AF - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔How much water is stored as groundwater in
California (reservoir storage is about 40 Million AF)?
, 30% - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What percent of California groundwater is used as a key
source of water in a normal water year
1,926 feet and 1,120,000 Horsepower - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What is the lift (in feet)
and combined horsepower of the Edmonston Pumping Plant that moves water over the
Tehachapi Mountains to Southern California?
A majority of the rain water falls in the northern part of the state, but a majority of the
population is in the southern part of the state. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What is one of the
greatest issues in California's hydrology?
true - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔true or false... California's population grew by 700% in the
last 90 years. This growth rate is unsustainable.
Hydraulic pressure from upstream water source - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔How did
California miners in the mid-1800s get the hydraulic mining nozzles to work?
From 2.2 mAF in 1990 to 1.4 mAF in 2020 (even though the population has gone up) -
CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔From the interview with Randy Record (former MET Chair), how
much did the MET water demand change between 1990 and 2020?
No, it most cases it will increase water used by 10-15%. This is due to plants doing much
better with drip irrigation. This translates to higher yields but the plants are also transpiring
more. - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Does drip irrigation save water in most ag operations?
Urban Use - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔What is NOT a reason why there is pushback from
building more water storage in California?
No, it was very hard on the environment and has left surface scars that have lasted over 150
years and the practice flushed tons of sediment to downstream water users and disrupted
water rights of other users - CORRECT ANSWER- ✔✔Was hydraulic mining considered a
sustainable method to mine gold?
