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PART C-3 'NK';I'1V D-1230 IU}I'.K'IO- United States Department of the Interior WATER AND POWER RESOURCES SERVICE ENGINEERING AND RESEARCH CENTER POBOX 25007 IIlJ1LDING li7, DENVER FEDERAL CENTER DENVER, COLORADO 80225 Remarks by Olin H. Foehner, Acting Chief, Operational Support and Demonstration Branch, Office of Atmospheric Resources Research, Water and Power Resources Service, Denver, Colorado to the Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee, September 5, 1980. THE AUGMENTATION POTENTIAL OF CLOUD SEEDING The Water and Power Resource Service's first weather modification studies in the Colorado River Basin were part of the earliest work undertaken by Project Skywater about 16 years ago. During the mid 1960's, field experiments were conducted in the Park Range near Steamboat Springs by E. Bollay Associates, Inc. and near Flagstaff by Meteorology Research, Inc. The University of Wyoming investigated the Cap Cloud Phenomena at Elk Mountain near Laramie. Additional studies were underway near Climax,Colorado conducted by scientists from Colorado State University. Their studies indicated lar~e increases of precipitation could be developed through weather modification. Based on their findings Project Skywater conducted a 5-year field program in the San Juan mountains between 1970-1975. Most of these programs began with a high degree of optimism and ended with a feeling of disappointment in not having found the key which would open the way to large scale operational application. However, the projects did advance the learning and understanding of storm systems, equipment development and seeding poten tia 1. At the present time, excess releases are being made from Colorado River storage reservoirs and the high flows going into Mexico are inundating fields and homes. Given these conditions, support for water augmentation is less evident. However, the very theme of this meeting is evidence that the need exists and the time is growing short. Commissioner of Water and Power R. ~eith Higginson has recog- nized the need to advance the testing and evaluation of weather modification at a pace that will permit water resource managers enough time to decide on the usefulness of the technology. At the Commissioner's request, we are preparing estimates of what is required to move as early as possible into a field program in the Basin to obtain the necessary information to make a decision on Basinwide operational seeding. In July of this year; Assistant Secretary for Land and Water Guy Martin asked the Commissioner to provide a SID (Secretarial Issue Document) for Precipitation Management in the Colorado River Basin. This Document is under final review in the Commissioner's office now. It presents a number of alternatives which will C-8