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<br />, <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />Program and agreed to give favorable consideration to the use of revenues from <br />increased power rates as a method of cost sharing. A committee consisting of <br />the top water resource specialist fro~ each of the seven Basin states was formed <br />to meet as needed to resolve the Federal-State issues related to the prompt <br />implementation of the program. The first two meetin~s of the committee were <br />held in Albuquerque on January 7 and March 26, 1982. <br /> <br />VII. The Demonstration Program <br /> <br />A. Proven Technology <br /> <br />The technology of modifying wintertime orographic cloud systems to <br />increase mountain snowpack has been developing over the past 30 years. <br />Both research and operational projects have contributed to a better <br />understanding of weather modification. The accumulated evidence is <br />that seeding under favorable conditions should increase seasonal pre- <br />cipitation 10 to 15 percent. The demonstration program will establish <br />operational procedures which can be transferred to other subbasins <br />and applied on a large scale if a decision is made to proceed with an <br />operational program. An analysis of the costs of operations will be <br />made for different methods of seeding to develop the most cost effective <br />system for operational application. <br /> <br />B. Confirmed Increases <br /> <br />A method of evaluation of increases from seeding will be developed and <br />used during the demonstration program which is acceptable to basin <br />water users. The increased flows will be quantified at specific points <br />on the'river. With an acceptable quantification of the amount of <br />augmentation the decisions on water use and distribution can be made. <br /> <br />C. Impact Assessment <br /> <br />There is a solid information base about the environmental, social, <br />and legal effects of cloud seeding. Environmental and social eval- <br />uations of the effects of cloud seeding have recognized the distinction <br />between short-term research effects and the potential for larger scale <br />and unknown effects resulting from long-term operational programs. <br /> <br />Our Project Skywater Programmatic Final Environmental Statement con- <br />cluded that cloud seeding would not significantly affect the environment <br />in research program areas and presented a preliminary survey of effects <br />that could occur if the technology were applied over long periods of <br />time. It also reported that seeding agents were found to have an <br />insiqnificant effect on the environment. Monitoring of the environ~ent <br />will-be conducted as a part of the project. Data will also be collected <br />in areas beyond the primary project area to answer questions regarding <br />extended area effects. <br /> <br />Risks in cloud seeding can be minimized by encoura~ing public involve- <br />ment and using suspension criteria. Suspension criteria are those <br />standards which define conditions under which cloud seeding would be <br />halted. An example is a definition of snowpack at some level above <br />normal when flooding potential exists or is forecast. The ease with <br />which an operational project can be started and stopped to meet existing <br />requirements both reduces risks and increases public acceptance. <br /> <br />-9- <br /> <br />