WMOD00268

• Applicant: CWCB
• Sponsor Name: USBR
• Project Name: Final Report Weather Damage Mitigation Program
• Title: Numerical Simulations of Snowpack Augmentation for Drought Mitigation Studies in the Colorado Rocky Mountains
• Prepared For: USBR - WDMP
• Prepared By: Curt Hartzell, Dr. William Cotton, Joe Busto
• Date: 9/1/2005
• State: CO
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Scientific Study

xii

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

COLORADO WEATHER MODIFICATION GRANT PROGRAM

Weather modification operations and research has been conducted in
Colorado since the 1950s. The state of Colorado has had a weather modification
I
permit program since 1972. Authority to administer the state's program resides
within the Executive Director of Natural Resources, but has been delegated to
the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) since 1987 and reaffirmed in
2001 and 2004 due to its connection to water resource management. The
CWCB is the regulatory entity that is charged issuing and monitoring weather
modification projects within the state.

CWCB directors, other state leaders, and river basin representative board
members recognize the important role that cloud seeding can play in augmenting
water supplies and has therefore supported a stable grant program and
collaboration on scientific research projects. The weather modification grants
provide some state cost share and help offset the weather modification permit
fees that require the state of Colorado to collect 2% of the contract between the
permit holder (contractors) and the project sponsor (water users). The state of
Colorado Fiscal Year is July 1st through June 30th. In FY-04 the CWCB provided
$20,000 in state cost-share grants through the Construction Fund (CF) Bill. In
FY-05 $60,000 is being made available and for FY-06 $75,000 is requested. A
conference call between the contractors and the CWCB in November 2004
solidified the criteria for equitable division of the grant funds for FY -05 and future
years out. The issue centered around programs on standby vs. active status.
The Telluride and Denver Water Programs both had valid permits, contracts for
the year, and generators in place, but were not going to actively seed unless the
good snowfall forecast for the 2004-2005 winter didn't materialize. It was
decided that 5% of the grant money each year would be set aside and divided
among standby programs, and 95% of the grant money would be divided among
the active permits.

The CWCB was elected Vice Chair of the North American Interstate
Weather Modification Council (Council) for 2004-2005. The nine Council
Member states have also seen unprecedented growth in wintertime cloud
seeding to augment snowpack in response to the western drought. Now more
than ever, the Council states seek to coordinate efforts, share new
developments, develop research funding, and secure leadership and funding
from federal agencies. Now, more than ever reliance on Colorado as a
"headwater state" with snowfields is a salient issue. This recent interest is
important as is briefly accounted for below. In May 2005 the CWCB passed a
Board resolution that conveys support for S.517, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's
Bill to establish funding and a coordinated federal program. The CWCB
resolution was sent to local and D.C. offices for Colorado's delegation (Ken
Salazar, Hefley, Tancredo, Udall, DeGette, Beauprez, Musgrave, John Salazar).
In June 2005 the CWCB attended the Western Governor's Association meeting