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<br />g. Aircraft Operations <br /> <br />I'1hen upslope storms prevail over the northern <br />front range, airborne cloud seeding operations will be initiated. <br />Ice crystal fallout trajectories will be CCtTrfluted on the basis of <br />temperature and wind conditions. 'lhese trajectory calculations will <br />subsequently dictate the flight patterns and distances upwind of the <br />target area whiCh the aircraft will be directed to fly. <br /> <br />Aircraft crews will be briefed on cloud/wind <br />conditions and will be given voRjrME positions to use as means of <br />navigating the specified flight tracks. They will fly to their <br />assigned tracks and at the assigned altitudes where they will operate <br />the AgI generators at specified burn rates. EaCh flight will be about <br />4 hoUrs in duration. It will take about 1. 5 hours to return to the <br />operating base, refuel, reload the generators and return to the target <br />area. Multiple flights are anticipated for a given storm period. <br />Crews will be briefed during re-fueling and adjustments to their tracks <br />will be nade if meteorological conditions warrant them. <br /> <br />All flights will be conducted with qualified pilot <br />and co-pilot. Special arrangsrents have been rrade with the FAA <br />regional center in Longrront for assistance in clearing the seeding <br />aircraft for the intended flight patterns. <br /> <br />Primary aircraft operations will be conducted <br />frcm Jefferson County Airport with Stapleton Airport as an alternative <br />base. Re-staging can also be conducted fran Boulder and/or Ft. Collins <br />Airports . <br /> <br />'Ihe Boulder Control Center is well within radio <br />range of the entire northern front range, enabling voice ccmnunication <br />with the pilot for up-date of seeding instructions. Similarly, the <br />pilot will radio his progress and cloud reports to the Control Center. <br /> <br />E. Any expected effects upon the environrrent resulting <br />frcm the proposed pro;ect and the methods of deter- <br />mining and evaluating those effects. <br /> <br />Based upon the results of similar winter projects that <br />have operated in Colorado, Utah, and California, and CIC's experience <br />in North, Arrerica, Africa, and the Mediterranean, this project does not <br />involve any high degree of risk of su,':lstantial harm to the land, people, <br />safety, property, health, or ecology of the Alpine systems. (Bureau of <br />Reclarration Ecology Studies Report, dated MarCh 9, 1976). <br /> <br />ResearCh projects have derronstrated that cloud seeding, <br />usinq the proposed procedures, can increase the seasonal snbNpack <br />10-25% (CSU and Bureau of Reclarration). These sane researCh studies <br />sha..; that individual storms, with optimum cloud t~rature conditions, <br />can sha..; increases of 100- 200% over periods of 6-18 hours. <br />