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<br />SECTION V. THE SAN JUAN OPERATIONAL PROGRAM <br /> <br />Introduction <br /> <br />The proposed San Juan Operational Cloud Seeding Project is a <br />3-phase effort that can lead to Basinwide operations by 1989. The <br />program schedule includes a l-year Initiation Phase to negotiate <br />contracts, obtain equipment, and make field installations; a <br />2-year Preoperational Phase to obtain field verification of the <br />operational procedures and modification hypotheses; and a 4- or <br />5-yearOperational Phase beginning in the 1983-84 winter season <br />(FY 1984). A Basinwide precipitation management program could <br />then begin in the Colorado River Basin in 1989 if the significant <br />and required optional transferability studies are conducted in <br />parallel with the San Juan operational program. Figure 4 shows <br />the San Juan design components. Figure 5 shows the operational area. <br /> <br />The San Juan program must include a strong emphasis on observation <br />of the intermediate processes within cloud systems. Understanding <br />of these intermediate processes is critical, so that program <br />scientists will be able to assess the results, regardless of <br />whether or not they are as expected. In addition, such an under- <br />standing is required to confidently transfer the techniques <br />developed in the San Juan area to other subbasins of the Colorado <br />River Basin and other areas of the West. <br /> <br />Basinwide precipitation management operations can be initiated in <br />1989 only if the transferability studies are conducted concurrently <br />with the San Juan operational program. The transferability studies <br />will collect and analyze relevant meteorological and topographic <br />data for each of the high-yield potential precipitation management <br />areas. Ground-based seeding feasibility studies to be conducted in <br />a second Colorado River subbasin are not a prerequisite to beginning <br />Basinwide operations by 1989; they are a highly desirable option to <br />determine the viability of this seeding mode in terms of efficiency <br />and cost effectiveness. These studies are discussed in detail in <br />the Parallel Studies subsection of this report. <br /> <br />The Initiation Phase <br /> <br />The I-year Initiation Phase (FY 1981) is scheduled as an intensive <br />period of equipment, facility, and operations contract procurement; <br />equipment installation; team building; and personnel training. A <br />project field office must be established and data collection from <br />newly-installed systems initiated. Environmental and social impact <br /> <br />V-I <br />