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<br />Future work will include acqu1r1ng snow profiles on altitudinal <br />transects, snow crystal photography, and synthesis of pre-1966- <br />1977 snowpacks. In addition, a detailed report discussing long- <br />range climatic patterns and resultant snowpack behavior of <br />importance to the region's ecology and hydrology is planned. <br />This work will classify the climatic patterns, the resultant <br />snowpacks, and the magnitude of changes. It will relate these <br />to the ecological factors of soil water, plant growth, water <br />delivery to reservoirs, and similar ecosystem components. Data <br />from the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory and the Sierra Ecology <br />Project will be used in this analysis. <br /> <br />1.4. Field programs in the planning stage. - Two field programs <br />are currently in the planning stage. One, the Sierra Cooperative <br />Pilot Project, is an outgrowth of past experimental investigations <br />and pilot projects in winter orographic snowpack. The other, the <br />North Platte Pilot Project, is oriented toward appraisal of the <br />utility of wintertime orographic cloud seeding for the upper <br />Missouri valley. <br /> <br />1.4.1. Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project. - In recognition of <br />the need for optimum long-term utilization of water resources <br />from the Sierra ~evada in California, the Sierra Cooperative <br />Pilot Project is being planned as a logical new development. <br />It will build on the background of a number of past activities, <br />those of commercial interests, university research, and studies <br />by the State of California as well as the winter orographic <br />experiments and pilot projects of Project Skywater. It is <br />being planned as a cooperative activity of the Bureau of Reclama- <br />tion, and possibly other participants. For a map of the project <br />area, see figure 2-17. <br /> <br />Initially, the region considered for possible research spanned <br />the Stanislaus, American, Yuba, Bear and Feather River Basins, <br />an area involving elevations above 1220 meters (4000 ft) and <br />affecting 11 counties. Detailed design investigations were <br />conducted of the Feather and American River Basins. These <br />studies led to the selection of the American River Basin, an <br />area of 4,820 square kilometers (1,861 mi2), for site-specific <br />project design work. The analysis leading to this decision <br />included examination and comparison of climatology, hydrologic <br />functions and existing meteorological data base. The present <br />availability of data and the physical setting combined to give <br />precedence to the American River Basin. <br /> <br />1-19 <br />