Laserfiche WebLink
<br />Gunnison County Program: The public hearing for this program was December 18,2002 and a pern1it <br />was issued in early January. This program has a number of sponsors including: City of Gunnison, Crested <br />Butte Mountain Resort, Crested Butte South Metropolitan District, Dos Rios was System, Gunnison <br />COlillty Stock Growers, Scenic River Tours, <br />Town of Crested Butte and the Upper <br />Gunnison River Water Conservancy District. <br /> <br /> <br />Eighteen generators were used in this <br />program and a total of 14 storm periods were <br />seeded over 22 days. A total 1536 hours of <br />generator time was used and 12,504 grams of <br />silver iodide was output. <br /> <br />Approximately 30 people attended this <br />hearing and two special permit conditions <br />were added based on the public hearing and <br />Record of Decision, The first was making 2% <br />of the project funds available for scientific <br />research. Representative from the Rocky <br />Mountain Biological Lab were concerned that additional snowpack would add additional noise in the <br />form of snowpack to ongoing studies on wildflower and snowpack. No request was made to utilize those <br />flillds but it is possible in future years that the RMBL or another group may request the funds for <br />scientific studies of the impacts of cloud seeding. The second condition was a request by the Cattle <br />Growers Association that the seeding season end April 15 instead of April 30 in order to not im act the <br />grazing season in early spring. <br /> <br />Supporters of the program have indicated an interest in expanding the current <br />target area of the program to include drainage areas that contribute streamflow <br />to the upper Gurmison River but lie in southwestern Gurmison, northern <br />Hinsdale and northern Saguache COlillties, There will be an application <br />submitted in September or October 2003 for a separate permit but a <br />complimentary program. <br /> <br />NRCS Snotel Data - Suspension Criteria tracking: As a part of all permits <br />there are two main criteria for suspending wintertime grolilld based seeding <br />generator programs, The first is linked directly to Colorado Geological Survey <br />- Colorado Avalanche Center warnings for avalanche danger. The second is <br />monitor selected Natural Resources Conservation Service for Snotel and <br />Snowcourse sites for Snow Water Equivalent. <br /> <br />Typically SWE suspension criteria is set at <br />175% avg. on December 1 175% avg. on January <br />150% avg. on March 1 140% avg. on April 1 <br /> <br /> <br />160% avg. on February <br /> <br />,. <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> <br />The following graphics are for the entire state's programs and the graphs represent represent the . <br />cumulative average of last year's SWE, 30-year average and suspension criteria. Eighteen Snotel sites <br />near and in the target area were averaged for the Denver Water's part of the Central Colorado Mountains <br />program, <br /> <br />10 <br />