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<br />benefit from the additional supply according to existing rights <br />and usages. For this reason, there are no apparent changes in <br />downstream water uses or dramatic changes in lifestyle that would be <br />attributable to precipitation increases. <br /> <br />Notwithstanding a great deal of debate, the question of whether water <br />is a primary cause or concomitant of growth is not settled. It <br />appears to rank as a "chicken-or-the-egg" issue. <br /> <br />"Population in urban areas of the West is increasing more <br />rapidly than in agricultural areas. In regions of water impor- <br />tation, such as central Arizona, population growth has affected <br />the development of water-supply systems, but there is no sub- <br />stantial indication that water availability has had any effect <br />on limiting urban population growth. Municipal water supply has <br />in some instances been obtained by purchase of water rights <br />previously used for agriculttire. As long as the present pattern <br />of development continues, precipitation management will have no <br />foreseeable effect on urban population growth. <br /> <br />"What will eventually limit urban population growth is not <br />foreseen at this time with sufficient clarity to identify the <br />potential role of precipitation management as a determinant of <br />ultimate population levels. There is no present indication that <br />it will playa large role." [2, p. 3-75J <br /> <br />e. Impacts of Seeding Agents. - The question of the impacts of <br />cloud seeding agents, particularly silver iodide, on the environ- <br />ment has been a matter of public interest and scientific concern <br />throughout the Proj ect Skywater program. Even though it is not <br />believed that the amounts of silver iodide released into the atmos- <br />phere during cloud seeding activities are sufficient to result in <br />either a significant or adverse environmental effect, monitoring for <br />silver will be included in the project's overall monitoring program. <br />Due to the high degree of interest in this particular subject, the <br />analysis of the impacts of seeding agents from the Sierra Cooperative <br />Pilot Project Environmental j~ssessment [8, p. 107J is included at <br />this point. <br /> <br />"Alternative seeding agents that may be used in the SCPP are <br />dry ice and silver iodide, both of which are released into <br />clouds from aircraft. Silver iodide may also be dispersed <br />from ground-based generators if atmospheric conditions are <br />appropriate. <br /> <br />"Appendix B - Seeding Agents" of the Skywater programmatic Final <br />Environmental Statement [lJ provided a detailed analysis of the <br />envi ronmental anal yses conducted to determi ne the effects of <br />silver iodide as a cloud seeding agent. The programmatic <br />Statement was widely distributed to Government agencies, public <br />libraries, and the gener'al public in 1977, and Appendix B of <br />that Statement is herebJ{ incorporated by reference into thi s <br />Assessment. <br /> <br />21 <br />