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<br />All such efforts help increase the level of understanding and, <br />as the Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project has proven, Federal, <br />state, local, and private interests can coordinate precipitation <br />management activities for the benefit of all parties. Future <br />activities will include a monitoring component to avoid data <br />containimation. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />o <br /> <br />Mr. Robert Fischer of the Denver Water Department discussed <br />coordination activities by local cloud seeding project sponsors <br />in Colorado. The coordination group includes 21 sponsoring <br />organizations interested in developing a balanced weather <br />modification program in the State. Cities, industry, recreation <br />areas, and water conservancy districts participate with the <br />objective of securing legislative support and State matching <br />funds for a coordinated, continuing weather modification activity <br />in Colorado. Mr. Fischer stated his support for precipitation <br />management as a viable resource management option to increase <br />Colorado River Basin water supplies. He also expressed a will- <br />ingness to cooperate with Skywater in its planning for long-range <br />precipitation management in the Basin. <br /> <br />To receive comments and direction from the meeting participants <br />based on their experience and knowledge, four discussion questions <br />were posed by the Service: <br /> <br />Question 1: <br /> <br />What is considered acceptable proof of water developed from weather <br />modification? <br /> <br />Discussion <br /> <br />Participants agreed that snowpack is a measure of acceptable proof. <br />Specifically, the Forest Service recognizes departures from historic <br />snowcourse data and annual discharge from the Basin as acceptable <br />proof. While there is no firm method of translating snowpack <br />amounts into runoff data, models are being developed to provide <br />more accurate pictures of the relationship. The definition of <br />"acceptable proof" may vary from group to group in the varying <br />scientific, environmental, and public segments of society. Mr. <br />Vern Valantine stated that precipitation would be acceptable as <br />a primary method of evaluation, but there must be relationships <br />developed which relate the increases to streamflow runoff. <br />