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<br />While much active support and acceptance of the Pilot Proj ect was <br />evidenced in the area, strong objections were also voiced. Farmers, ranchers, <br />and those with water resources interests generally supported the proj ect be- <br />cause of the additional water supplies and associated benefits from the proj ect <br />and possible future operations. Objections were generally raised by those with <br />environmental interests and those within the proposed project area whose live- <br />lihood was not dependent on water and who live where snow was a hindrance or <br />danger. <br />Partially because of these concerns and the Bureau of Reclamation's <br />interest in the evaluation of avalanche causes and the possible long-term effects <br />of increased precipitation in an avalanche prone area, subareas three and four <br />were excluded from the initial seeding target area (Figure 1-1). An extensive <br />avalanche study program was undertaken by the University of Colorado's Insti- <br />tute of Arctic and Alpine Research with the !Cooperation of the Forest Service to <br />determine the effect of seeding on avalanches and to help avalanche forecasting. <br />Many ecological questions were raised on the effects of increasing snow- <br />pack and the effect silver iodide would have on the environment. A comprehen- <br />sive ecological study was undertaken to monitor and study these effects. The <br />ecological investigations were based on a study plan prepared by Colorado State <br />University, Colorado University, and Fort Lewis College. <br />The actual seeding target area for the five operating seasons of the Pilot <br />Project was Subareas I and 2, the area east of Durango, Colorado which was <br />bounded by the Continental Divide on the north and east and approximately the <br />9,500 ft. M. S. L. contour on the south and west sides. This area covers about <br />1,300 square miles and includes the Wolf Creek Pass area where the Colorado <br />State University experiment was carried out: between 1965 and 1969. Each of the <br />subareas was divided approximately in half and identified as West (W) or East (E) <br />for area 1 and North (N) or South (8) for area 2. The division of the subareas was <br />done along the ridge lines separating the Los Pinos, Piedra, San Juan and Rio <br />Blanco drainage basins. This further division of the subareas allowed the fore- <br />casters to better define the expected primary and secondary areas of the target <br />to be affected by seeding during each experimental day. <br /> <br />1. 4 EXPECTED RESULTS <br />During an average southwest Colorado winter, there are about 90 storm <br /> <br />1-5 <br />