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p.'!' "-"="- I, I i- I f High mountain basins serve os reservoirs for the collection of winter snow. Increased summer moisture has its pri- mary impact in the project area. Eco- nomic studies in the Northern Great Plains indicate that an additional inch of rain over the groWing season could in- crease wheat and other small-grain yields by about 2 bushels per acre. Increased forage production would be reflected in greater carrying capacity of grazing land rather than in greater weaning weights of livestock. The value of an additional inch of rain is estimated to range from 5 to 20 cents per acre for undeveloped grazing land and from $1 to $5 per acre for crop- land. The value of additional water for industrial and municipal uses would prob- ably be $30 to $40 per acre-foot. These figures, derived from Project Skywater studies in the Northern Plains, also appear appropriate for most of the Central and Southern Plains. Rough estimates indicate that there are almost 100 million acres of cropland, more than 30 million acres of fallow cropland, and nearly 265 million acres of grazing land within the Great Plains. Not every part of the region would need or want additional precipitation every year. It is estimated that up to 40 percent of the area would benefit from cloud seeding dur- ing any given year. The technology being developed for the High Plains should have an annual, value in excess of $250 million. Further research should gradually improve the benefit-cost ratio. Disbenefits associated with seeding sum- mer convective clouds are also felt pri- marily within the target area. For in- stance, one crop might benefit from addi- tional precipitation, while another might be damaged. Increased precipitation might have the effect of increasing erosion, although this would be expected to be very slight. Outside the target area, the a~~riculture economy may be adversely affected be- cause the increased crop 'Yield may de- press prIces. - 6