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1 . ,.J' 4-wRW washn x x x press briefing here on Aug. 6. "We are a long ways from finalizing a ,reather modification program," he stated, addinc:% that his Cammittee has no plan , acre-reel: 1n tne pper BaS1n to speed up the program. The Team goal was SOO,OOO/annually by 2000. 1Por the team saw weather 'mod I as the best bet for augmenting the water supply for the Upper Basin, combined with the development of SOIlle 9':othermal resources for both water and power, and a dual-purpose nucle.- ar-power sea-water desalting plant to supp*nt water supplies in the lower Colorado River Basin. It expressed the hope that lower Basin geo- thermal and desalting developments could reduce the Lower Basin's de- mands on the Colorado River, "thus allowing the Upper Basin to retain additional amounts of the River's natural water supply for its use." This has been proposed for many years, but for cost reasons and politi- cal reasons, the idea has never gotten anywhere. Costs of desalting sea water and geothermal brines are not cheap, even in large volumes, the Team noted. It said there are several closed basins within the Upper Basin which contain ground water which could be "mined." Los Angeles might use more water from the northern part of california or desalt sea water and salt Lake City might use water from Bear River in nathern Utah to cut down on their dependence on COlorado River water, the Team suggest- 0193 I ed. And there are the possibilities of imports from "areas of possible surplus," it said rather hesitantly, as Jackson is totally opposed to the Colorado River Basin looking to the pacifia Northwest for meeting the Colorado River deficits. other steps that might be taken include use of air cooling (despUe rather its higher cost)/than water cooaing in new plant designs, transfer of water rights from agricultural use to industrial use, and getting a better "fix" on water demand by striking abandoned, stale and inactive water rights off the books by state engineers, by realistically assess- ing the water requirements for Indian tribes and f;lderal lands and for meeting the needs of the 1972 Clean lVater Act. the Team stated. The team is made up of nine Interior bureaus and agencies. It is chaired by Kenneth o. I<auffman of the Bureau of Reclamation and headquartered in Denver. HCM ~