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<br />WEATHER MODIFICATION AND ITS APPLICATION
<br />TO THE COLORADO RIVER BASIN AND ARIZONA
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<br />JOHN C. LEASE
<br />BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
<br />DENVER, COLORADO
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<br />Introduction
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<br />Water is one of the most important factors that affects the quality
<br />of life: for those of us that live in the arid West. We drink it, bathe
<br />in it, grow our food with it, and play in tt. Howev~r, the natural
<br />water supply of the Colorado RiVer~ the major source of water to eleven
<br />Western- ,States and Mexi co, ,i s rapi'd1y becomi ng inadequate to meet the
<br />needs of its users. Incr~ased water supplies will be needed for the
<br />expanding Ropu1ation and-industry in the region" hydroelectric power
<br />generation, energy resource development, irrigation, salinity control,
<br />and: reservoir arid stream maintenance for environmental, wildlife, amd
<br />rea--eat,; on benefi ts. There is no', one best sol uti on to the i l1l>endi ng
<br />water ,shortages; a combination of augmentation and'cbnservation methods
<br />:: ' wi 11 be requi red. ' -<
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<br />!' -,; One of 'the most promising and cost-effective new sources of water
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<br />n ,~... ':is available through cloud seeding to increase precipitation in mOlJln-
<br />. ,;:,-', tai nous regions and subsequently augment the snoWfiack that feeds the
<br />" " river and its reservoir system. Precipitation is~ii' renewable resour'ce
<br />, that is ~. fundameflta1 part of the hydro]ogica1 cycle. It is also a CClm-
<br />~.~ ponent which could be managed, like stored water-supplies, to better
<br />',:- serve the needs of society. Precipit:ation enhancement could add to
<br />" water supp1 i es in two ways. It cou1 d au'gment and recharge the amount of
<br />water stored in reservoirs and aquifers. The additional water would
<br />then be available for use when and where ,needed. Cloud seeding could
<br />also be used for direct application of precipitation on croplands Clnd
<br />.range1ands whenever seeding opportuniti~s occur.-in the right place and
<br />time to be of benefit. This would reduce the depletion of stored water
<br />supplies and the costs associated with pumping it to its desi red 1 oc:a-
<br />tion. In., short, precipitation enhancement is appropriate for use ona
<br />year-round ba~i s as an integral component of a 1 ong-term,comprehensii ve
<br />wateT manage,nent phi losophy. . "
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<br />Unfortunat~ly cloud seedi ng is vi ewed by many potenti a1 users only
<br />as a drought relief m~asure. Precipitation enhancement is often invoked
<br />in desperation, perpetuating-what I call ,the hydro-illogical cycle
<br />,,(figure 1). The most common attitude expressed in the hydro-illogical
<br />cycle is apathy, but when' a drought occurs the awareness level gradually
<br />increases to concern a'nd then rapi dly goes to pani c. At that poi nt the
<br />number of operati ona 1 programs i ncreas~, app'arently wi th the expectat'j on
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