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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There were no weather modification field activities
in Delaware during 1977. However, interest had spread to the State
government. In 1977 the Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station
and the Delaware State Department of Agriculture made arrange-
ments to undertake a weather modification study for the spring and
summer seasons in Delaware. Dr. Joanne Simpson from tht~
University of Virginia was asked to do a study of the potentia.! for
increasing rain during that period.
Her study involved the use of computer models to
simulate the conditions of summertime clouds over DelawarE~ and
their response to a prescribed method of cloud seeding. ThH results
were favorable and the report ~;uggested that a rain augmentation
program was feasible. Dr. Simpson's feasibility study was :sub- '
mitted to the State and provided. renewed interest at the local and
State levels.

The 1977 Delaware State Legislature approved House
Bill 860, which provided funds for a. pilot-type weather modification
program to augment rainfall during the summer months in IH78.
The bill also stipulated that an analysis of seeding effectivenless' be
undertaken by the University of Delaware.
On 25 May, 1978, a contract was signed betwE~en the
State of Delaware and the Colorado International Corporation (CIC)
of Boulder, Colorado. CIe was to execute a cloud seeding project
with the intent to increase summertime rainfall in Delaware. The
company was also responsible for the collection and analysis of

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certain data that was to be used in the evaluation of the project
operations.

The project was to be administered by the Secretary
of Agriculture and to operate for the period 10 June, 1978 through
10 September, 1978.

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