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<br />* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <br /> <br />II. REGIONAL BACKGROUND AND STATUS OF COLORADO RIVER <br />PILOT PROJECT <br /> <br />* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <br /> <br />" <br />,. <br /> <br />Ii. <br /> <br />Most of the flow of the Colorado River originates in <br /> <br />the alpine and subalpine watersheds where precipitation <br /> <br />amounts are high and evapotranspiration losses low due <br /> <br />to colder temperatures. These important runoff-producing <br /> <br />watersheds cover only a small part of the Colorado <br /> <br />River Basin. Since these watersheds are at the most <br /> <br />opportune elevations for seeding winter orographic <br /> <br />clouds from ground generators, feasibly applying weather <br /> <br />modification to small areas for significantly augmenting <br /> <br />water supplies becomes a real possibility. <br /> <br />The eight major runoff producing areas of the Upper <br /> <br />Colorado River Basin have been identified as the 14,200 <br /> <br />square miles with 10 inches or more annual runoff !I. <br /> <br />The estimated average runoff or specific yield from <br /> <br />these areas is about 13 inches. Additional or secondary <br /> <br />areas yielding 1 inch to 10 inches annual runoff total <br /> <br />some 9,500 square miles, with an average annual runoff <br /> <br />of about 3 inches. The entire Colorado River watershed <br /> <br />Ir" <br /> <br />1/ Crow, L. W., "Report on Major Subbasin Target Areas <br />for weather Modification in the Upper Colorado River <br />Basin" Report 53, Denver, Colorado, March 1967. <br /> <br />7 <br />