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<br />---,.- <br /> <br />ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION <br /> <br />Precipitation patterns are by nature quite variable, not <br />only from season to season and place to place, but also <br />at a single, location from storm to storm. Thus an indivi- <br />dual storm can cause heavy moisture in one area, and yet <br />produce little or no precipitation in adjacent areas. An <br />examination of the precipitation pattern for a longer per- <br />iod tends to smooth out these natural single storm varia- <br /> <br />tions. <br /> <br />Relating the actual precipitation to the historical <br /> <br />long-term normal amounts for each given locatio~ also aids <br />in minimizing natural influences such as topography, lake <br />effects, etcetera. In this way, comparisons between con~ <br />tract areas and those out;side become more meaningfu1. <br /> <br />Figure 1 depicts the precipitation distribution in Colorado <br />for the 24 January-23 April period, during which the Grand <br /> <br />Mesa project was operational. <br /> <br />The actual precipitation has <br /> <br />been expressed as a percent of normal, for the reasons giv- <br /> <br />en in the above paragraph. <br /> <br />The model plotted at each offi- <br /> <br />cial reporting station in Figure 1 is as follows: <br /> <br />Actual Precipitation <br />Normal Precipitation <br /> <br />. Percent of Normal Precipitation <br /> <br />It is readily apparent from Figure 1 that for the second <br />consecutive year most of western Colorado enjoyed above aver- <br />age precipitation for the three month period during which <br />the project was operational. <br /> <br />Page 5 <br />