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<br /> <br />Bureau of Reclamation Responses to Comments <br /> <br />Department of the Interior <br /> <br />United States <br /> <br />GEOLOGICAL SURVEY <br />RESTON, VIRGINIA 22092 <br /> <br />1976 <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />APR <br /> <br />76-10 <br /> <br />DES <br /> <br />Rec 1 amation <br /> <br />Memorandum <br /> <br />To: ~mmissioner of <br />:9'0-'(, <br />Througb0: Assistant <br /> <br />Q-",~,~ <br /> <br />67 "ki!..e--v.....L, C( <br />RPR j ~ 1S'S <br /> <br />Miner al s <br /> <br />Secretary--Energy and <br /> <br />Survey <br /> <br />Geological <br /> <br />From: \.'O-ca:>irec tor <br />...~" <br />Subject: Review of draft <br />for atmospheric <br /> <br />program <br /> <br />on management <br /> <br />environmental statement <br />water resources <br /> <br />No response <br /> <br />Paragraph 3.1.1.1 has been expanded to include discussion of impacts <br />on intensity and duration of precipitation. It is concluded that <br />these impacts will not be significant. They will therefore have no <br />expected impact on flash flooding and excessive soi 1 erosion. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />requested <br /> <br />The intensity and duration of precipitation resulting from precipitation <br />management techniques should be assessed, especially where such tech- <br />niques may produce intense precipitation of short duration. Such precip- <br />itation. locally. may result in flash flooding and excessive soil erosion <br /> <br />We have reviewed the subject draft environmental statement as <br />in your memorandum of March 5. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />~ <br />I <br />.... <br />VI <br /> <br />A surnmary of the principal ground-water resources is con'tainea 1n <br />table 8-2, It is concluded in paragraph 8,3 that information <br />currently available as to sustained yield of ground water is insuffi- <br />cient for an analysis of the future relationship between ground-water <br />utilization and precipitation management. Skywater experimental <br />programs are expected to have no significant impact on ground-water <br />supplies (par. 3,2.6). Effects of widespread and prolonged precip- <br />i tation management on ground-water resources cannot be assessed <br />until the nature of the effects have been better documented, <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />Inasmuch as the principal goal of the research is a measure of control oJ <br />a portion of the hydrologic cycle, we believe that the description of the <br />environment (p. 2-1 through p. 2-38) should at least sU!!!..'11arize the geo- <br />graphic distribution of the principal ground-water resources involved and <br />pertinent details of the ground-water portion of the hydrologic cycle that <br />may be directly influenced by the project <br /> <br />3 <br /> <br />The way that any incremental precipitation due to Proj ect Skywater <br />experiments may be partitioned among evaporation, consumption by veg- <br />etation, surface" runoff, and ground-water recharge will vary greatly <br />from place to place and from time to time, and is not expected in <br />any case to be significant. The text of paragraph 3,2,4,1 has been <br />amended to remove the ambiguity here pointed out <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br />One of the reasons advanced for the negligible effects of the research <br />program on streamflow and surface runoff is the consmnption of the addi- <br />tional precipitation by ground-water recharge (p. 3-23). On the next <br />page we read that "because of the relatively high infiltration rates <br />found in the Great Plains and similar landscapes, and because of evapo- <br />transpiration, an impact on surface runoff and ground-water supplies is <br />doubtful." These ideas seem to be in conflict. Experience in mapping <br />and testing the aquifers of the Great Plains and examination of many <br />recharge areas suggests that at least some of the principal aquifers are <br />very readily affected by increases in precipitation. if these increases <br /> <br />4 <br /> <br /> <br />Save Energy and You Serve A merical <br />