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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br />. <br />I <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />,. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />I <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br /> <br />agencies are often required to issue environmental assessment, environmental impact <br />statements and declarations of negative impacts, to meet governing charters and law, <br />These environmentally driven requirements involve much time and resources. Thus <br />research on environmental impacts of weather modification programs and seeding agents <br />is also a definite need. The development of a programmatic approach in this area could <br />be very beneficial. <br /> <br />(f) Seeding Agent Chemistry and Improvements in De]ivery Systems: Modern <br />formulations of seeding chemicals can start producing significant numbers (1012 particles <br />per gram of active agent) of effective ice nucleation at temperatures colder than about <br />_40C. However, winter orographic clouds in much of the western U.S. have significant <br />amounts oftime when there is SL W at temperatures in the OOC to - 40C range. Can <br />improvements be made in the seeding chemistry to achieve effective ice nucleation at <br />these warmer temperatures? Ground-based seeding aerosol generator designs have been <br />improving in recent years toward more reliable remote operation. Optimization of <br />atomization, flame temperatures, flow volumes, power consumption and data telemetry <br />are areas recommended for continuing improvements. <br /> <br />3.2.6 Watershed experiment <br /> <br />The BASC Workshop report (BASC, 200]) included a strong recommendation <br />that a "Watershed Experiment" be conducted in the mountainous West using all of the <br />available technology and equipment which can be brought to bear on a particular region <br />which is water short and politically visible from this water-short viewpoint. The NRC <br />report did not include this recommendation, but this response re-introduces this <br />recommendation. The "Watershed-sized Project" should be designed to demonstrate that <br />snowfall could be augmented over a watershed using scientifically acceptable statistical <br />and physical measurement strategies. The methodology should include following the <br />hypothesized "chain-of-events" using airborne and remote sensing technologies. Model <br />forecasts and remote sensors should be used to determine optimum positioning of <br />ground-based generators and the optimum times for their operation. The investigations <br />should include evaluations of snowpack melting, run-off, stream flow and recharge of <br />ground water aquifers. In addition, it should include environmental impact studies within <br />the region, including water quality, stream flow standards and protection of endangered <br />species, while at the same time satisfYing the overall water requirements of the <br />inhabitants of the watershed such as Native Americans, ranchers, farmers, residents of <br />]ocal townships and industry. <br /> <br />There are several western states watersheds that are worthy of consideration for <br />such a program. One of these would encompass portions of the McCloud River and Pit <br />River basins of northern California. This watershed covers approximately 800 square <br />miles, offers high elevation terrain extending from Mt Shasta (]4,000 ft. elevation) <br />eastward for approximately 40 miles, by southward approximately 20 miles, and <br />produces more than 1 million acre-ft of water annually, This area is relatively isolated <br />from other weather modification programs. Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) is <br />considering implementing a weather modification program in this region. PG&E calls <br /> <br />21 <br />