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<br />---- <br /> <br />I. INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The Southwest Drought Research Program was a cooperative effort between <br />Reclamation (Bureau of Reclamation) iind State agencies in Arizona, Colorado, <br />Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Its purpose was to carry out a variety of <br />application-oriented research tasks pertaining to both technical and insti- <br />tutional issues of weather modification for drought mitigation. It should be <br />emphasized that no actual cloud seeding was carried out as part of this <br />program. <br /> <br />As a result of this cooperative research effort, the participating State <br />agencies increased their knowledge of weather modification technology and <br />more fully recognized its capabil ities and 1 imitations. Several States <br />developed general plans for operational projects, but all the States recog- <br />nized that additional cloud physics information is needed before final <br />designs can be completed. They have also identified whatever additional <br />development work is needed to adapt the technology to the particular require- <br />ments of their States. <br /> <br />Some of the conclusions from the program are: <br /> <br />. Drought in the Southwest is caused primarily by a reduction in the <br />number of precipitation events rather than from a decrease in the <br />amount of precipitation pE!r event. <br /> <br />. Seedable clouds occur during drought periods, but usually with less <br />frequency than during nondrought periods. <br /> <br />. Estimated seasonal precipitation increases from cloud seeding range from <br />roughly 5 to 20 percent over what would have occurred naturally. <br /> <br />. In general, additional precipitation in drought periods has a beneficial <br />economic effect, with no serious or long-term adverse consequences. <br /> <br />1 <br />