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<br />e <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />winter snowpack increase unless highly augmented snowpacks persisted so <br />as to interfere with breeding seasons or food supply - an unlikely <br />occurrence. Residents are well adapted to conditions of an area, and <br />vary their location/elevation in alpine settings according to weather <br />conditions. Habitat destruction or lateration is the most serious <br />factor in the well-being of bird populations. Cloud seeding will not <br />contribute to this occurrence. Increased snowmelt will benefit marshes <br />and meadows and the animals that inhabit them. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />One of the design considerations for the proposed demonstration phase <br />and for operational activities is to determine the trpe of monitoring <br />required to determlne the response of large and smal mammals and their <br />well-being to increases in snowfall and snowpack. <br /> <br />Knowledge of the potential impact of precipitation management on the <br />principal components of the aquatic ecosystems is limited. An important <br />question is whether increased snow depth and duration will worsen or <br />extend winterkill occurrences. Some possible effects of widespread and <br />prolonged application of precipitation management have been studied. <br />Analysis has included studies of the effects of increased runoff on <br />water temperature, the physical state of the streambed as it may affect <br />spawning and egg hatch, food supply for the fry, and the possible <br />effect of cloud seeding agents on water quality. Other factors were <br />considered as too far removed in their connection with precipitation <br />management and too disturbed by other "variables for meaningful analysis. <br />The Skywater Programmatic FES discussion about effects on aquatic <br />ecosystems and the more recent Sierra Ecology Project report on the <br />workShop on lake and stream biota [17] are incorporated into this <br />document by reference. <br /> <br />.", <br />. <br /> <br />Precipitation increases could significantly and/or adversely affect <br />endangered and threatened species of animals and plants and their <br />habitats. The site-specific investigations required for phase two of <br />the proposed alternatives and for an operational cloud seeaing scenario <br />would include studies of likely effects on endanoered and threatened <br />species that may occur in the proposed project areas if such species <br />are found. This process will begin with consultation with the Fish and <br />Wildlife Service and State fish and game officials. Installation of <br />instruments during the first phase (data collection/calibration phase) <br />of the project would have no impact on these species because of the <br />selection policy or avoidance of such sites. <br /> <br />d. Impacts on the Human Environment <br /> <br />. . <br /> <br />Increases in precipitation usually estimated at between 10 and <br />15 percent per annum are not expected to generate new or incremental <br />population increases above those estimated in existing development <br />scenarios for the ColoradO River Basin. The two most commonly per- <br />ceived driving forces for population growth in the Basin are the <br />sunbelt phenomenon and development of coal and oil shale resources. <br />Various studies of future resource requirements in the Basin present <br /> <br />19 <br />