New Mexico CID GF-3 Canals, Reservoirs or Irrigation Systems Examination

Under the EPA Storm Water Management for Construction Activities guidance used on the New Mexico GF Core exam, what written document identifies pollution sources and the best-management practices that will be used on a construction site?

• AStorm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
• BNotice of Termination (NOT)
• CSpill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan
• DErosion hazard assessment only

When should perimeter sediment controls such as silt fence typically be installed on a canal or reservoir construction site?

• AAfter mass grading so the fence can be set to final grade
• BBefore land-disturbing work begins in the drainage area they protect
• COnly after the first measurable rainfall
• DAfter the Notice of Termination is filed

A silt fence is the appropriate sediment-control BMP when runoff approaches the fence as:

• AConcentrated channel flow from a large watershed
• BSheet flow from a limited drainage area
• CPipe discharge from a dewatering pump
• DOverbank flow from an irrigation canal

According to the EPA construction-stormwater guidance referenced on the GF Core exam, a temporary sediment basin is generally required at a common drainage location when the disturbed upstream area is more than about:

• A1 acre
• B2 acres
• C5 acres
• D10 acres

If a sediment-basin design uses the EPA 2-year, 24-hour runoff method and the designer has not calculated the site-specific storm volume, a common equivalent storage volume cited in construction-stormwater guidance is:

• A500 cubic feet per acre drained
• B1,200 cubic feet per acre drained
• C3,600 cubic feet per acre drained
• D10,000 cubic feet per acre drained

What is the primary purpose of a stabilized construction entrance on a canal or reservoir job?

• ATo increase the site’s allowable disturbed acreage
• BTo prevent sediment track-out onto public roads
• CTo replace the need for a SWPPP
• DTo serve as the site’s only sediment basin

How should silt-fence fabric be installed relative to the slope so that it intercepts sheet flow instead of creating a channel?

• AStraight up and down the slope so water can drain freely
• BOn the contour, with the ends turned upslope to form a J-hook
• COnly at the crest of the slope, with no buried toe
• DAcross a live stream as a temporary dam

On a New Mexico canal reconstruction that disturbs several acres, what filing typically starts NPDES construction-stormwater coverage after the SWPPP is prepared?

• ANotice of Intent (NOI)
• BBuilding permit only
• CNotice of Termination (NOT)
• DOSHA Form 300

Temporary seeding or mulching is used on a reservoir embankment stockpile primarily to:

• AIncrease the Proctor maximum dry density of the stockpile
• BProtect exposed soil from rainfall impact and sheet erosion until final cover is placed
• CReplace the need for perimeter sediment controls
• DSatisfy OSHA cave-in protection requirements

Storm-drain inlet protection on a construction site is intended to:

• AIncrease the hydraulic capacity of the inlet during a design storm
• BKeep sediment-laden runoff from entering the storm-drain system
• CReplace downstream sediment basins on large drainage areas
• DServe as the site’s only means of dewatering

A check dam in a temporary drainage swale on an irrigation-project site is used mainly to:

• AIncrease flow velocity so the swale is self-cleaning
• BReduce channel velocity and trap coarse sediment
• CServe as a permanent canal drop structure
• DReplace the SWPPP inspection requirement

During weekly SWPPP inspections on an active New Mexico canal job, which finding most clearly requires a corrective action before the next qualifying storm?

• ASilt fence fabric buried 6 inches in a toe trench with backfill compacted
• BA sediment basin with a marked 50-percent clean-out elevation still well below that mark
• CA section of silt fence undercut by concentrated flow and no longer in contact with the g…
• DA stabilized construction entrance with clean stone still visible at the surface

A 12-acre reservoir borrow area drains to one low point. Following EPA construction-stormwater guidance, which sediment-control strategy is most appropriate at that low point?

• AA single row of silt fence across the outlet
• BA temporary sediment basin sized for the drainage area
• CStraw bales stacked in the travel path of haul trucks
• DNo sediment control if the borrow will be reclaimed later

Dewatering water from a canal-lining excavation is turbid. Which discharge practice is consistent with construction-stormwater BMP principles?

• APump directly into the nearest storm inlet to keep the trench dry
• BDischarge through a sediment bag, tank, or vegetated filter area before release
• CAdd diesel fuel to break the surface tension so sediment settles faster
• DRoute the pump hose over live traffic without secondary containment

Under OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P, a protective system is required for employees in an excavation that is 5 feet or deeper unless the excavation is made entirely in:

• AType C soil
• BPreviously disturbed soil
• CStable rock
• DSaturated sand

OSHA 1926.651(c)(2) requires a stairway, ladder, ramp, or other safe means of egress in a trench that is 4 feet or deeper so that no employee has more than how much lateral travel to the egress?

• A10 feet
• B15 feet
• C25 feet
• D50 feet

Per OSHA 1926.651(j)(2), excavated spoil and other materials that could fall into an excavation must be kept at least how far from the edge unless a retaining device is used?

• A1 foot
• B2 feet
• C4 feet
• D6 feet

Who must inspect an excavation for evidence of cave-in, hazardous atmospheres, and protective-system failure under OSHA 1926.651(k)?

• AAny laborer on the crew
• BThe project owner’s accountant
• CA competent person
• DOnly a registered professional engineer, every time

For an excavation less than 20 feet deep, OSHA Appendix B maximum allowable slope in Type C soil is:

• AVertical (90 degrees)
• B3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
• C1 horizontal to 1 vertical (45 degrees)
• D1-1/2 horizontal to 1 vertical (34 degrees)

OSHA Appendix B maximum allowable slope for Type B soil in an excavation less than 20 feet deep is:

• A1/2:1
• B3/4:1
• C1:1
• D2:1

A simple-slope excavation in Type A soil that is 20 feet or less deep may be cut no steeper than:

• AVertical
• B1/2:1 for the full 20-foot depth
• C3/4 horizontal to 1 vertical (53 degrees)
• D1-1/2:1

When must a registered professional engineer design the protective system for an excavation?

• AAny excavation deeper than 4 feet
• BAny excavation 20 feet or deeper
• COnly excavations in Type A soil
• DOnly when a trench box is rented

A competent person classifying soil for OSHA sloping must use:

• AA visual inspection only
• BA visual inspection plus at least one manual test
• CLaboratory Atterberg limits only
• DThe pipe manufacturer’s catalog

A canal-pipeline trench is 8 feet deep in Type C soil and will be sloped per OSHA Appendix B. How far back from the toe of the slope at the bottom must each side be laid back?

• A4 feet
• B6 feet
• C8 feet
• D12 feet

OSHA 1926.652(g)(2) permits excavation of earth to not more than how far below the bottom of a trench shield, provided the shield is designed for the full depth and the soil remains stable?

• A6 inches
• B12 inches
• C2 feet
• D4 feet

On a critical-path schedule for a canal-lining project, the critical path is the sequence of activities that:

• AHas the most float and can slip without affecting completion
• BDetermines the shortest possible project duration and has zero total float
• CIncludes only procurement items
• DIs always the path with the fewest activities

A written change order on a unit-price irrigation contract is used to:

• ADocument an agreed change in scope, quantity, time, or price before the extra work is tre…
• BReplace the original bid form after award without owner approval
• CRecord only verbal field instructions that never affect cost
• DTransfer the contractor’s license to a subcontractor

As-built drawings for a completed irrigation pipeline should show:

• AOnly the original design grades, even if the pipe was shifted in the field
• BThe work as actually constructed, including location, invert, and material changes
• CThe contractor’s internal cost codes
• DThe SWPPP inspection log

A contractor is bidding a canal earthwork job from cross-sections. The most reliable way to estimate pay quantity for excavation is to:

• AGuess a lump-sum dirt price with no sections
• BAverage end-area or similar measurement from the design cross-sections and apply the cont…
• CUse only the truck-count of hauled material without swell or shrinkage
• DCopy the quantity from an unrelated highway job

Retainage on a public irrigation-construction contract is withheld primarily to:

• APay the contractor’s income taxes
• BGive the owner security that punch-list and closeout work will be completed
• CIncrease the contractor’s bonding capacity
• DReplace the need for performance bonding

A look-ahead or three-week schedule on a reservoir job is used to:

• AReplace the approved baseline critical-path schedule
• BCoordinate near-term crews, equipment, inspections, and deliveries against the baseline
• CChange contract unit prices
• DFile the NPDES Notice of Termination

Liquidated damages in a canal-construction contract are best described as:

• AA penalty the court will always strike down
• BA pre-agreed daily amount the owner may assess if the contractor finishes late
• CThe contractor’s actual extra profit for finishing early
• DA substitute for workers’ compensation insurance

A canal project’s earthwork estimate shows 40,000 bank cubic yards of cut and 42,000 compacted cubic yards of embankment needed. If the soil shrinks 10 percent from bank to compacted fill, about how much borrow is required?

• ANo borrow; there is surplus cut
• BAbout 2,000 compacted cubic yards of borrow
• CAbout 6,000 compacted cubic yards of borrow
• DAbout 14,000 compacted cubic yards of borrow

A submittal register on a GF-3 project is used to:

• ATrack required product data, mix designs, and shop drawings through contractor, engineer,…
• BReplace daily SWPPP inspections
• CPay employees without certified payrolls
• DRecord NM 811 ticket numbers only

A construction benchmark on a reservoir job is:

• AA temporary grade stake that may be reset daily without a level loop
• BA point of known elevation used as the vertical control reference
• CThe station equation on a horizontal alignment
• DThe OSHA competent-person designation

Station 12+50 on a canal centerline is how many feet from station 0+00?

• A12.50 feet
• B125 feet
• C1,250 feet
• D12,500 feet

The invert elevation of an irrigation pipeline is the elevation of:

• AThe top of the pipe bell
• BThe inside bottom of the pipe
• CThe existing ground at the trench centerline
• DThe water surface in the canal

A canal is staked with a 25-foot offset to the right of centerline. The offset stakes are used so that:

• AEquipment can work the prism without destroying centerline control
• BThe canal can be built 25 feet narrower than designed
• CVertical control is no longer required
• DNM 811 tickets become unnecessary

A level loop from BM-1 (elev. 5,240.00) to a canal-crest hub and back closes with a misclosure of 0.18 foot over 1,200 feet of sighting. The crew should first:

• AIgnore the misclosure because it is less than 1 foot
• BCheck the arithmetic and rerun the loop before setting grade
• CAverage the misclosure into the design freeboard
• DLower the entire canal 0.18 foot without notifying the engineer

A canal invert is designed at elevation 4,812.50 with a slope of 0.0008 ft/ft. What is the invert elevation 2,500 feet downstream?

• A4,810.50
• B4,812.50
• C4,814.50
• D4,832.50

A turning point is used in differential leveling so that:

• AThe instrument can be moved while carrying elevation from the backsight to the next setup
• BHorizontal angles can be measured without a benchmark
• CCut sheets can omit invert elevations
• DGPS base-station coordinates are no longer needed for control

In New Mexico, an excavator must notify NM 811 before mechanical excavation at least:

• ATwo working days, not counting the day of the call
• BTwo calendar hours
• CFifteen calendar days
• DThirty working days

Under 18.60.5 NMAC, a standard New Mexico excavation locate ticket is valid for how long from the work-to-begin date and time stamped on the ticket?

• A48 hours
• B7 calendar days
• C15 working days
• D30 calendar days

APWA uniform color code uses white markings to indicate:

• AElectric power
• BPotable water
• CProposed excavation
• DSewer

APWA uniform color code uses yellow markings to indicate:

• ACommunications and CATV
• BGas, oil, steam, or petroleum
• CReclaimed water
• DTemporary survey

If excavation will encroach within 18 inches of either side of a UFO’s mark, 18.60.5.15 NMAC requires the excavator to first:

• AUse the bucket to feel for the line
• BExpose the facility by non-mechanical means or mechanical vacuum excavation
• CAssume the mark is the exact center of the pipe and offset 6 inches
• DFile a Notice of Intent with EPA