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<br />OODli.12 <br /> <br />Research into physical processes within storms, development of new instru- <br />mentation for an improved measurement capabil ity, and testing techniques <br />for real-time analysis and evaluation of results would continue under the <br />current Bureau of Reclamation research program budget. This alternative <br />presents no additional funding requirements and environmental or social <br />impacts are not expected. Institutional arrangements for administering <br />additional water supplies are not needed. <br /> <br />The disadvantages of the no action alternative are that weather modifi- <br />cation as a nonstructural method for augmenting the CRB water supply will <br />not be demonstrated as a usable alternative. Future development in the <br />Basin may be restricted. In order to meet the water demands anticipated <br />under the terms of the Colorado River Compact, other methods of augment- <br />ing the water would be required ultimately. Our ability to meet the <br />national commitment to deliver water to Mexico would be impacted. Without <br />the cloud seeding alternative, significant benefits to the Salinity <br />Control Program would be foregone [5J. <br /> <br />C. Programmatic Alternatives <br /> <br />The Project Skywater Programmatic Final Environmental Statement [4] was <br />filed with the Council on Environmental Quality October 25, 1977. The <br />Statement was distributed to State clearinghouses; Federal, State, and <br />local agencies; universities and colleges; special interest organiza- <br />tions; and the general public in the CRB. Chapter 8 of the Statement, <br />"Alternatives to the Proposed Action," is incorporated by reference as <br />part of this environmental assessment. The eight programmatic alterna- <br />tives discussed in the FES in addition to precipitation management are: <br /> <br />- The null or no-action alternative <br />- Accommodating to projected water shortages <br />- Expanded conventional water resources engineering <br />-,Geothermal waters <br />- Saline waters <br />- Interbasin or intrabasin water transfers <br />- Water reclaimed through conservation <br />- Alternative technologies applicable to the atmospheric <br />water resource <br /> <br />Several alternatives were discussed by the Commissioner of Reclamation <br />at congressional hearings in 1981 [6]. The measures considered were: <br /> <br />- Importation from other river basins <br />- Desalting of seawater and geothermal brines <br /> <br />5 <br /> <br />- -- <br />---~ -- -- - - - - - - -- <br />