WMOD00424

• Project Name: 1978 Delaware Rain Augmentation Project
• Title: 1978 Delaware Rain Augmentation Project - Condensed Report
• Prepared For: Secretary of Agriculture, State of Delaware
• Prepared By: Dr. Larry G. Davis, Lawrence B. Youngren
• Date: 12/1/1978
• State: DE
• Country: United States
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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1. 0 INTRODUCTION

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1.1 Background
Agriculture in Delaware is greatly dependent upon
the persistence of -summertime showers and the retention of soil
moisture. Summer rains along the Atlantic coast are occasionally
very heavy, but in most summer growing seasons there are
periods of moisture deficiency. The topography of the Delmarva
Peninsula and bay area is an important factor in this variable
rainfall pattern. The overall effect is to diminish the severity of
summer weather systems and weaken the summer storms and
make them more intermittent as they enter Delaware. In Delaware
the rains fall on coastal plain soils that tend to be sandy and there-
fore cannot retain moisture as well as soils with a higher humus
content.

In several recent years the lack of timely rains
combined with the relatively pourous soils have caused a consid-
erable drop in the productivity of Delaware agriculture.
Although little could be done about the Delawar.~
soils, the area farmers took a forward step in an attempt to alle-
viate the problem of water shortages during the summer months.
In 1975 a group of concerned Delaware and Maryland farmers
turned to the weather modification industry for help. A ground
based seeding project was conducted during the summers (Jun1e
through August) of 1975 and 1976. The program covered several
Delaware and Maryland counties and was funded by private donations.
The target area covered about 2,000 square miles with portions of
Kent and Sussex counties comprising the eastern section of thE! two-
state target area.

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