WMOD00299

• Title: Physical Structure of Northern Colorado River Basin Cloud Systems
• Date: 9/1/1985
• State: CO
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

The primary source of water in the southwest United States is the

Colorado River. During the recent past, this area has experienced

substantial increases in population, agricultural development and energy

usage, yet the supply of water to the region has remained unchanged. As

demands on the water supply increase, fluctuations in the flow of the

Colorado River due to drought will seriously impact the economy of the

region as well as the nation. The water dilemma is at hand; the demand

on the Colorado River already exceeds the average supply of water

available. Fortunately, the water crisis in the Colorado River Basin

has been alleviated by a recent series of abnormally wet years.

Climatologically, such conditions will not persist.

The Colorado River drains an area of 635,000 km2, one-twelfth the

area of the United States excluding Alaska. However, 77~ of the total

runoff to the basin is supplied from 13~ of the basin area (Klazura,

1984). Nearly all of this runoff results from winter precipitation.

The small area supplying the bulk of the water to the basin consists of

eight mountainous regions in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Figure 1. from

Klazura (1984), shows the locations of these mountain ranges.

Few methods exist to alleviate the impact of a major drought in the

Colorado River basin. The best method, conservation, has been utilized

extensively throughout the basin ~hrough construction of reservoirs and

enforcement of regulations concerning water usage and water rights.

Snow management techniques have been proposed to limit evaporation of