ROD WM Permit 2011-01

• Contract/Permit #: 2011-01
• Applicant: John R Thompson - Water Enhancement Authority
• Sponsor Name: Water Enhancement Authority
• Project Name: ROD Grand Mesa
• Title: Record of Decision Public Hearing
• Prepared For: Water Enhancement Authority
• Prepared By: CWCB
• Date: 2/25/2011
• County: Mesa
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Record of Decision

Research conducted in concert with a winter weather modification project has summarized several wildlife
and environmental areas to be considered when snow pack augmentation is undertaken. Areas of concern
as a result of the research findings have been incorporated into our proposed operational seeding and
suspension criteria. These are described in detail in the response to question number 9.
Ref 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8
9. Describe the safeguards to be used by the operator to prevent substantial harm to land, water, people,
health, safety, property and the environment.
.Communication with the generator operators at their field locations, the National Weather Service office in
Grand Junction, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Natural Resources in Delta will be
maintained throughout the period the project is being conducted. On notice from any of these entities that
detrimental conditions may develop or have developed cloud seeding operations will be suspended for the
duration of the period in question. In addition, if seeding operations are underway and in the judgment of
the project meteorologist conditions seem to be deteriorating to the point of becoming a hazard, seeding
will be terminated as soon as possible even though an official notice of conditions has not been determined
to have been issued. During a seeding period, weather conditions in regard to precipitation intensity and
duration are continually monitored This will include monitoring snow pack accumulation from Snotel
stations within the target area,
Evaluations of snow pack data indicate minor flooding and stream flow problems can exist when late winter
snow pack reaches 150 percent of normal. More substantial flooding problems can be anticipated when late
winter snow pack is in excess of 170 percent of normal. Since the program is designed for reasonable levels
of snow pack enhancement for an outlook of adequately abundant summertime water supply for storage use,
it is proposed that seeding be suspended over the project area if the average of the snow pack
accumulations, measured in equivalent inches of water, at the Snotel sites and the snow - courses selected to
represent the target area exceeds a continuous function defined by the following points:
A. 175% of average on December 1,
B. 175% of average on January 1,
C. 160% of average on February 1,
D. 150% if average on March 1,
E. 140% of average on April 1,
F. 135% of average on May 1,
G. 130% of average on June 1
Snow pack accumulation will be monitored at least weekly from snow survey measurements conducted by
the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Average snow pack will be calculated as the unweighted average of the water content of the snow pack for
the 30 -year base period from 1961 to 1990 at the identified snotel sites. The following snotel sites shall be
monitored for compliance with the above suspension criteria:
Average of 1961 to 1990 Water Content in Inches
Snotel sites
Elevation
Dec I
Jan I
Feb I
Mar I
Apr I
May 1
Jun 1
McClure Pass
9,500
3.2
7.3
11.6
15.4
18.3
13.8
3.2
Mesa Lakes
10,000
4.4
6.9
9.6
12.1
15.9
14A
3A
North Lost Trail
9,200
2.8
6.4
11.4
15.5
18.4
13.4
0.1
Park Reservoir
9,960
6.9
11.6
16.5
20.8
26.6
30.4
13.2
Average
4.3
8.3
12.2
16.0
19.3
18.0
5.0
Threshold
8.7
14.1
19.6
23.9
27.7
24.3
6.5