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<br />An item that is recelvlng attention in both the regional and forest <br />plans is the vegetative management for water yield improvement program. <br />Some appraisal estimates have been made of the potential of this program; <br />however, until the specific forest plans have been completed it is too <br />early to estimate the realistic amount of increased water yield that <br />could be developed considering all other uses of the forest lands. Mr. <br />Hensen stated that the 1983 Forest Service budget proposal does include <br />a water yield improvement item. ' <br /> <br />The Rocky Mountain Region contains 22 million acres of forest lands. <br />The water yield improvement program is a stage program where some area <br />of forest lands may be treated each year. Water yield improvement is <br />cumulative over the years as each area treated continues to contribute <br />'an increased though declining water yield over the period until the <br />forest again becomes mature and is a candidate for repeated treatment. <br />There is a definite potential for the Forest Service's water yield. <br />improvement program and the precipitation management program of the <br />Water and Power Resources Service to be complimentary. <br /> <br />The complete text of Mr. Hensen's presentation is included as Part C-2 <br />of Attachments. <br /> <br />5. <br /> <br /> <br />and <br /> <br />The Water and Power Resources Service's first weather modification <br />studies in the Colorado River Basin were part of the earliest work <br />undertaken by Project Skywater about 16 years ago. During the mid- <br />1960' s, fi e 1 d experiments were conducted in the Park Range near <br />Steamboat Springs and near Flagstaff. The University of Wyoming <br />investigated the Cap Cloud Phenomena at Elk; Mountain near Laramie. <br /> <br />Additional studies were underway near Climax, Colorado conducted by <br />scientists from Colorado State University. . Their studies indicated <br />large increases of precipitation could be developed through weather <br />modification. Based on their findings, Project Skywater conducted a <br />5-year field program in the San Juan Mountains between 1970-1975. <br /> <br />Most of these programs began with a high degree of optimism and ended <br />with a feeling of disappointment in not having found the key which would <br />open the way to large-scale operational application. However, the <br />projects did advance the learning and understanding of storm systems, <br />equipment development and seeding potential. <br /> <br />B-2 <br />