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002536 SECTION II. COLORADO RIVER BASIN PILOT PROJECT Proj ect Summary The CRBPP (Colorado River Basin Pilot Project) was a 5-year winter orographic research program to help determine the feasibility of augmenting high mountain snowpacks in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado by cloud seeding and thereby enhance spring and summer runoff into the Colorado River Basin. Actual seeding activities began in Decembec 1970, were completed in April 1975, and were followed by data analysis. Previous research by Colorado State University near Climax, Colorado, during the 1960's had identified atmospheric conditions under which clouds seeded with silver iodide would produce more snow than similar, untreated clouds. One purpose of the CRBPP was to determine whether the experimental findings from Climax would be applicable in the San Juan Mountains. The meteorological objectives were: (1) to test the physical concepts of weather modification technology and (2) to assess the practical potential of weather modification technology in terms of snowpack increase. Closely related research programs on the possible environmental effects of winter cloud seeding were completed by Colorado State University (The San Juan Ecology Project) and by the University of Colorado (The San Juan Avalanche Project). The project study area included nearly 3400 km2 of sparsely populated mountainous terrain east and northeast of Durango, Colorado. Eleva- tions ranged from above 2750 to 4200 meters. The basic scientific design was prepared at Colorado State University by scientists who were familiar with the Climax experiment and a previous research program at Wolf Creek Pass. The seeding activities were randomized so that approximately half of the days in which conditions were suitable were seeded and the remaining half were not. Operations began in November, after the big game hunting season, and continued until mid-May. Activities were suspended when snowpack was much above normal or avalanches threatened. Also, operations were prohibited when southeast winds might blow the silver iodide nuclei toward the mountain villages of Silverton and Ouray, which desired no additional snow. Thus, not all suitable days were actually declared experimental, and in 5 years the program had 147 experimental days; 71 of which were seeded, and 76 not seeded. Analysis and evaluation of CRBPP data were performed by an inde- pendent contractor, Aerometric Research, Inc., who reported, "No II-l