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<br />3.9. Field Equipment Costs <br /> <br />The proposed program will need seeding devices and seeding site sensors that help determine if <br />conditions are proper for initiation of cloud seeding. Sensors are required for determining weather and <br />cloud conditions, for assessing seeding results. Communications and computer equipment are needed to <br />relay and archive information. <br /> <br />Table 3.2 shows the estimated field equipment costs for the proposed program to be $1,801,480. The <br />seeding site equipment costs for 55 sites are the major portion of costs, estimated at $1,369,440. <br />Equipment for assessing weather and cloud seeding results is estimated to cost $432,040. Equipment <br />costing includes three microwave radiometers for assessing integrated cloud SL W , a necessary (but not <br />sufficient) cloud component for cloud seeding. In recent years, small, portable, relatively inexpensive <br />units have been built that may serve well for the Headwaters Region. <br /> <br />All major equipment items necessary for the program should be purchased by Reclamation during the <br />design phase period. Purchase by Reclamation is the most cost-effective for a multiyear program. An <br />alternative would be equipment leasing from the private sector. Lease rates typically average 5 to 10 <br />percent of the purchase price per month of use. Outright purchase of the equipment will thus offer <br />savings after about two to four years of program operations. In most cases, equipment should be provided <br />to the service contractors to operate and maintain as Government-furnished equipment. <br /> <br />3.10. Seeding Suspension Criteria <br /> <br />An environmental monitoring plan will be implemented that includes seeding suspension criteria. In <br />general, seeding will be suspended during periods of well-above normal snowpack, avalanche hazards <br />beyond a determined level, and perhaps other periods when specified criteria or conditions are exceeded. <br />Criteria may vary depending upon month of winter. Suspension criteria will be developed specific for the <br />design phase. It is expected that design phase criteria will be less restrictive because seeding impacts will <br />be relatively minor in comparison to operational seeding impacts. Likely, separate criteria will be <br />developed for the operational phase. <br /> <br />Possibilities for suspension criteria include seeding suspension any time the selected snowpack <br />measurement sites exceed 200 percent of normal. Seeding resumes only after the snowpack decreases <br />below the 125 percent of normal point. Possibly, seeding suspension occurs after the snowpack exceeds <br />150 percent of normal at specific later months of the winter. <br /> <br />An advisory committee of local citizens and agency members should monitor and advise the program, <br />and serve as the focal point for public awareness on this issue. The Colorado licensing processes for <br />conducting cloud seeding require dealing with seeding suspension criteria. Criteria must be discussed at <br />local public meetings prior to finalization. Local concerns will be incorporated into the development of <br />criteria and the program's environmental monitoring plan. <br /> <br />3.11. Extended Area Effects <br /> <br />The concept of cloud seeding "robbing Peter to pay Paul" seems to eventually arise in continuing seeding <br />projects. The idea is that using cloud seeding to increase snowfall on a mountain barrier, for example, <br />leaves less moisture for downstream areas. Some downstream water users become concerned that <br />upwind seeding projects may be "robbing" some of their water. This issue will need to be considered in <br />the design phase and some provision made for dealing with it in the operational seeding phase and <br /> <br />18 <br />