WMOD00290 ‎(2)‎

• Project Name: The Medicine Bow Ecology Project
• Title: The Potential Sensitivity of Various Ecosystem Components to Winter Precipitation Management in the Medicine Bow Mountains, Wyoming
• Prepared For: Bureau of Reclaimation
• Date: 2/28/1975
• State: WY
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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General Research Design

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At least four approaches can be utilized for evaluating the
ecological impact of weather modification:
I. controlled large-scale experiment approach.
2. controlled small-scale experiment approach.
3. before-and-after monitoring approach.
4. systems analysis approach.
The discussion that follows describes briefly a rationale that has
been useful for determining the beSt approach f~r each of the seven
studies that are part of the Medicine Bow Ecology Project.
,Controlled large-scale experiment ~)ach
An ideal option would seem to be the location of two very compar-
able watersheds, one of which would be seeded to increase snowfall
and the other not seeded. After considerable di'scussion, this approach
was essentially abandoned for the following reasons. First, ilt seemed
doubtful that a legitimate control of \</atershed size, could be found.
Two areas of several square kilometers would most likely be toe)
different in microclimate and vegetative cover, so that differences
that occurred after the treatment probably could nqt be attributed
confidently to the snow-treatment effect. Secondl)', because the
treatment effect could possibly be difficult t6 detect in a short time,
several field seasons would probably be required Just to select the
two "comparable" watersheds. Careful measurements would be required
from a large number of watersheds before the best combination could
be seleded. Thirdly, the best two watersheds for such an experi-
ment would probably be adjacent, and there Is the question of whether
a cloud~eeding operation could prevent artificial precipitation on
the control. Because of these problems, the Medicine Bow Project has
focused more on small-scale experiments, where controls can be more
easily established.
Controll~d sm~IJ-scale experiment approach
The ~d~antage of this approach is that
established and replications are possible.

controls are more easily
The snow treatment or

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