WMOD00222

• Applicant: Valley Grovers
• Project Name: San Luis Valley
• Date: 1/1/1975
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Record of Decision

(8) There may be more icy road conditions and avalanches which make
travel more hazardous.

(9) It is believed to be immoral for mankind to artifica11y augment
snowfall or snowpack.

(10) Increased precipitation may result in increased fuel bills
and taxes.

(11) There should be no weather modifications until all other experi-
mental projects have been fully eval uated or until outcomes of a project are
capable of total prediction and control,

21. Twenty-one letters opposing the issuance of the Permit expressed some
of the concerns set forth in paragraph 20. Fifteen of these letters came from
persons living in the Ouray, Ridgway and Si1verton areas. One letter favored
issuance of the Permit.

22. In anticipation of the concern expressed by persons in the Ouray,
Ridgway and Silverton communities about the affect of any weather modification
on that general area, which is in a downwind area and could be affected; the,
program has been designed specifically to eliminate, as much as is possible,
those storm situations which to date have indicated a, contribution to a down-
wind effect. The frequency of such events is extremely small; the' estimate
of such events in a year is between 0 and 4. Even if there were a slight
carry-over effect, these towns are a sufficient distance from the intended
Project Area, that they should not be affected significantly by the program.
The conditions found in the Colorado River Basin Pilot Project to produce
downwind' effects have been eliminated from the instant program.

23. The expected duration of the weather modification operation for which
the Permit is sought was to run from December 1, 1975 through April 30, 1976"
, 'It is unlikely that a Permit can be issued before sometime in January, 1976.
Consequently, the mining and lumbering industries are not likely to be adversely
.- affected to any appreciable degree beyond that experienced by natural winter
snowfall.

24. The anticipated changes in the precipitation amounts in the Project
Area would fall wHhin 'the natural annual variation of precipitation, except
possibly during a very heavy winter snow season when seeding operations would
be suspended. The natural stream systems are expected to adequately handle
any n~tura1 and augmented precipitation resulting from the Project.

25. The other concerns expressed by opponents to the issuance of the
Permlt are substantially speculative in nature and would be alleviated if
the committee of citizens and operating'conslderations 'referenced in parae
graphs ,16 and 17, supra, were made a condition of issuance of the Permit.

26. The increase of only 3 to 5 percent of seasonal, accumulation of
precipitable water should not create a substantial hazard or harm above
natural conditions and the Project does not involve a high degree of risk
of substantial harm to land, people, health, safety, property or the
environment. Further, the Project is designed to include adequate safeguards
to prevent substantial damage to land, water rights, people, health, safety
or th~ environment, It shou'id be emphasized that the Project, when compared ,
to the Colorado River Basin Pilot Project, will increase seasonal accumulation
of precipitable water 3 to 5 percent rather than 15 to 20 percent; will be
suspended when the average snowpack across the Project Area is 125 percent
of normal rather than 150 percent, as used as the limit under the Colorado
River Basin Pilot Project; ,and will be monitored and controlled in part'by
the committee of citizens, if the recommendations of the Hearing Officer
are accepted by the Director of the Department of Natural Resources.

27. The record discloses that the Project will not adversely affect
"another project. \ .

28. The Project is designed to minimize risk and maximize economic
benefits to the residents of the ,area.

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