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<br />Ou2715 <br /> <br />Nevada in California (BuRec, 1976). From the time planning was begun, we <br /> <br /> <br />worked with Don Finlayson in the California Department of Water Resources. <br /> <br /> <br />After two years of work, the Department of Hater Resources reassessed its <br /> <br /> <br />program priorities and budget and decided to withdraw from active participa- <br /> <br /> <br />tion in the program. <br /> <br /> <br />Our design consultants, ME Associates, have recommended a pilot project <br /> <br />in the American River Basin. This basin has different storm types and <br /> <br /> <br />geography from the Feather River Basin which was also considered as a research <br /> <br /> <br />area. There is an ongoing program in the American Basin directed by the <br /> <br /> <br />Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and also one to the south in the <br /> <br /> <br />Mokelumne Basin directed by PGE. He have worked out an agreement with SMUD <br /> <br /> <br />and do not believe there will be any conflict. They see a benefit to them <br /> <br /> <br />from this research project. <br /> <br /> <br />Information learned in the San Juans is important to the design of new <br /> <br /> <br />programs. For example, in planning a program for the Sierras and the Colorado <br /> <br /> <br />Basin contamination from the carry-over of cloud seeding materials is recog- <br /> <br /> <br />nized as a potential problem. We are testing where materials released from <br /> <br /> <br />both ground and air sources go in the American River Basin this winter. First, <br /> <br /> <br />we will use a hydraulic tank in the laboratory to simulate the flow of materials <br /> <br /> <br />over the mountain range and then do aircraft tracing in the field to verify the <br /> <br /> <br />tank model results. It is quite possible that both ground generators and air- <br /> <br /> <br />craft will be used in the Sierras and perhaps in the Rockies on future projects. <br /> <br /> <br />We will also be testing the Bureau's 5-centimeter radar in the Sierra Nevada <br /> <br /> <br />this winter. It is planned to have a Bureau of Reclamation employee in the <br /> <br /> <br />field to coordinate the project activities scheduled to begin in February 1979. <br /> <br /> <br />We do not see the Sierra project as competing with the Colorado River Project <br /> <br /> <br />because the climatological problems are different and the planning stages do <br /> <br /> <br />not overlap. <br /> <br />Our only other wintertime program is an environmental study in Utah which <br /> <br /> <br />is a three year program at a total cost of about $160,000. A computer model <br /> <br /> <br />study of the Colorado River Basin is being done to see where additional water <br /> <br /> <br />would be used. Originally, we were going to do a legal study with Utah, in- <br /> <br /> <br />stead the Department of the Interior's Office of the Solicitor took a look at <br /> <br /> <br />the legal problems in-house. In summary, the report basically said: the states <br /> <br /> <br />have a legal basis for water ownership through weather modification. If you <br /> <br />16 <br /> <br />