WMOD00390

• Title: A Proposed Wintertime Weather Modification Research Program for Colorado
• Date: 1/1/1980
• State: CO
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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sponsors. Even though the basic seeding technology was sound in
its scientific theory, some concerned individuals were asking
questions about phases of th,ese operational programs that could
not be answered because of t]rre program's purely operational
nature. Limited funding either restricted or eliminated the
opportunity to monitor basic meteorological data which could be
utilized in evaluating the effectiveness and extent of the seeding
operations_ without any verification of seeding results in and
around the seeded area, thesle operational programs slowly began
to lose general public accep.tance in some areas of the State.
It became very evident -to the entities that had been supporting
or promoting the concept of operational programs in Colorado that
a more comprehensive wintertime cloud seeding design was necessary.
This new program design not only needed to meet their precipitation
and streamflow requirements but also had to address the questions
being posed by growing numbers of operational-type program oppon-
ents. This new comprehensiv4e program plan needed to include a
consistent seeding criteria, extensive monitoring and collection
of pertinent meteorological parameters and a credible evaluation
of the data to determine the effectiveness and extent of the
seeding operations. Additional records and cost data would be
necessary from towns near se4eded areas, road maintenance depart-
ments, ranchers, farmers, wildlife agencies, mining operations,
timber and logging companies and recreational and resort communities
to evaluate the effect that above and below normal wintertime pre-
cipitation patterns have on operational costs. Further evaluations
of this cost data could asse:3S potential cost benefits or disbene-
fits that increased precipitation or snowpack would have on these
operations if they were in the region of detectable affect from
the seeding program.
The type of comprehensive program plan considered by the
entities that desired to see the technology of wintertime cloud
seeding explored and advanced to an acceptable and fully applicable
level was rapidly attaining a cost beyond their capability. A
review of the policies and plans of appropriate State agencies
indicated that this type of comprehensive wintertime cloud seeding

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