WSPC00811 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

000121 A 10- to IS-percent increase in snowfall can result in benefits and inconveniences for mountain communities. Benefits include additional snow for the ski industry and other winter recreation activities. Additional precipitation may also relieve moisture stress in mountain vegetative communities and reduce chances of disease in the forests [19J. The most common complaint about additional snowfall in alpine communi- ties is the potential for increase in snow removal costs. An assess- ment of potential effects of cloud seeding in a mountain setting was conducted by the California Department of Transportation [22J. The assessment considered: (1) the effect is snowpack was increased up to 15 percent per annum in normal or below normal years, (2) manpower and equipment requirements for snow removal per year and per storm under historic conditions, and (3) the costs for dry, average, and wet years. "The study found little direct relationship to increased costs for small incremental changes in storm size because of the amount of equipment and manpower necessary to maintain a traversable roadway under frost conditions or handle the problems of freeze-thaw of snow- banks adjacent to the roadway which cause icy conditions. Also, road closures are more frequently caused by blowing and drifting snow or severe icing conditions than the amount of snowfall." [12J Ranchers in the high country are concerned that cloud seeding may result in earlier than normal as well as latet" than usual snowpacks thereby making alpine pastures unavailable for longer periods each year. Ranchers are concerned also that precipitation increases will drive game herds to lower feeding ranges, consequently competing with domestic stock and perhaps causing haystack losses. Others are con- cerned that increased duration of snowpack in certain areas may cause inconvenience or delay in access for mining and timber harvesting activities. These effects are possible as the result of significant increases in snowpack; however, they are not at all certain. Investi- gations wi11 be required to monitor the extent and effects of precipi- tation increases during CREST so that appropriate compensatory measures or additional suspension criteria can be developed to mitigate or preclude significant losses. Although one of the key benefits of augmentation of the Basin's water supplies will be to meet obligations under the Mexican Treaty, the increased water has not been assigned to a particular owner or use. Thus far, in the history of cloud seeding in the western United States, the additional precipitation received in a watershed has been used to supplement the system as a whole. In this fashion, all users benefit from the additional supply according to existing rights and usages. For this reason, there are no apparent changes in downstream water uses or dramatic changes in lifesyle that would be attributable to precipitation increases. In fact, the increases will help secure the existing quality of life in the Basin. 24