BRAE 349 Final 2026 With Questions
And Answers
What percent of California groundwater is used as a key source of water in a normal water year based
on lecture? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖30%
Why is reservoir storage needed in California? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Difference between
supply and demand of the snow pack/rainfall runoff water
What is the lift (in feet) and combined horsepower of the Edmonston Pumping Plant that moves water
over the Tehachapi Mountains to Southern California? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖1,926 feet and
1,120,000 Horsepower
How much water is stored as groundwater in California (reservoir storage is about 40 Million AF)? -
correct answer<✔✔💖💖850 million AF
What is one of the greatest issues in California's hydrology? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖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.
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? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖300 billion centuries
From the water allocated to California from the Colorado River in a "normal" year, how much of the 4.4
million acre-feet allocation is used by agriculture as senior water rights? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖87.5%
Why are nitrates in the groundwater an issue? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Nitrates can cause health
problems such as Blue Baby Syndrome
When were the state water projects constructed in California? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖1960s
, 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. - correct answer<✔✔💖💖23.7 billion gallons (or
about 72,700 Acre-Feet)
How much subsidence has occurred at Mendota, California after groundwater pumping? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖About 30 feet (according to Dr. Poland)
Which of the following represent relatively "new" sources of water in California? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖All of the above
What is one of the biggest issues with the San Francisco Delta? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Seawater
intrusion into Southern California's drinking water system after levee failure
Does drip irrigation save water in most ag operations? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖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.
How did California miners in the mid-1800s get the hydraulic mining nozzles to work? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖Hydraulic pressure from upstream water source
According to the Randy Record interview, what is the biggest challenge in the future for the
sustainability/reliability for MET? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Climate change/variability
In an agricultural operation, water that moves past the root zone moves to the aquifer. What happens
to this water? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖It is typically reused by other users in a basin (ag and M&I)
Was hydraulic mining considered a sustainable method to mine gold? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖d.
Answers b and c are both correct
How much subsidence allegedly occurred between 1925-1977 at the site near Mendota, California
(documented by Dr. Poland)? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖8.9 meters (29.2 ft)
And Answers
What percent of California groundwater is used as a key source of water in a normal water year based
on lecture? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖30%
Why is reservoir storage needed in California? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Difference between
supply and demand of the snow pack/rainfall runoff water
What is the lift (in feet) and combined horsepower of the Edmonston Pumping Plant that moves water
over the Tehachapi Mountains to Southern California? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖1,926 feet and
1,120,000 Horsepower
How much water is stored as groundwater in California (reservoir storage is about 40 Million AF)? -
correct answer<✔✔💖💖850 million AF
What is one of the greatest issues in California's hydrology? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖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.
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? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖300 billion centuries
From the water allocated to California from the Colorado River in a "normal" year, how much of the 4.4
million acre-feet allocation is used by agriculture as senior water rights? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖87.5%
Why are nitrates in the groundwater an issue? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Nitrates can cause health
problems such as Blue Baby Syndrome
When were the state water projects constructed in California? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖1960s
, 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. - correct answer<✔✔💖💖23.7 billion gallons (or
about 72,700 Acre-Feet)
How much subsidence has occurred at Mendota, California after groundwater pumping? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖About 30 feet (according to Dr. Poland)
Which of the following represent relatively "new" sources of water in California? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖All of the above
What is one of the biggest issues with the San Francisco Delta? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Seawater
intrusion into Southern California's drinking water system after levee failure
Does drip irrigation save water in most ag operations? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖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.
How did California miners in the mid-1800s get the hydraulic mining nozzles to work? - correct
answer<✔✔💖💖Hydraulic pressure from upstream water source
According to the Randy Record interview, what is the biggest challenge in the future for the
sustainability/reliability for MET? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖Climate change/variability
In an agricultural operation, water that moves past the root zone moves to the aquifer. What happens
to this water? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖It is typically reused by other users in a basin (ag and M&I)
Was hydraulic mining considered a sustainable method to mine gold? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖d.
Answers b and c are both correct
How much subsidence allegedly occurred between 1925-1977 at the site near Mendota, California
(documented by Dr. Poland)? - correct answer<✔✔💖💖8.9 meters (29.2 ft)
