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<br />..(}U 1...,;\j <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />II <br /> <br />6. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />At this point we have covered our statistical investigations as far <br /> <br />as they can go without more actual data concerning the behavior of the river. <br /> <br />Logically, therefore, we are ready for the second major division of our project. <br /> <br />If we could get more information about the precipitation and the river basin, we <br /> <br />might improve our predictive ability a great deal more. <br /> <br />In the case of the Colorado River the records show that most of the <br /> <br />run-off comes from .r.Lnter precipitation at the higher levels. Probably something <br /> <br />like three-fourths of the run-off at Lees Ferry is attributable to precipitation <br /> <br />of this type. In ~ of the west years, it is clear that much of this winter, <br /> <br />high-altitude, precipitation was influenced by a "big storm." Such storms are <br /> <br />typically of several days duration and may extend over the larger part of the <br /> <br />entire basin vlhen they occur during the winter months. They always result in a <br /> <br />Viet year, although not all wet years contain such a "big storm." A "big storm" <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />which is capable of producing one inch of run-off over the whole watershed above <br /> <br />Lees Ferry would add approximately six million acre feet to the flow of the <br /> <br />Colorado at Lees Ferry IF the entire flmv were to go directly into the river. <br /> <br />On the other hand, so-called "normal" precipitation of several inches during a <br /> <br />meteorological year is likely to add very little to the >>un-off at Lees Ferry <br /> <br />during that year. Accordingly an intensive study of the nature of so-called <br /> <br />"big storm" is continuing. <br /> <br />The laborious task of transferring meteorological data to punch cards has <br /> <br />been virtually completed, as shown in the following table: <br /> <br />. <br /> <br /> Nwnber Station years Station years <br />Stations of punched received from <br />in Stations at CSU USWB <br />Colorado 18 839 158 <br />New Mexico 1 42 12 <br />Wyoming 5 219 58 <br />utah -2. 100 --'ll. <br /> 29 1,200 319 <br />Analysis of these data by computer is now proceeding. <br />