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<br />scientifically oriented project in the North Platte Basin or Rio <br />Grande Basin to develop new techniques and cloud seeding systems. <br /> <br />Weather modification research aimed at "increasing rainfall by cloud <br />seeding" by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation <br />(now the Water and Power Resources Service), was authorized by <br />Congress in the Public Works Appropriation Act of 1962 (Public <br />Law 87-330). 2/ In similar manner, the Service was further directed <br />in 1968 to "~itiate pilot weather modification projects in <br />connection with the atmospheric water resources research program." 2/ <br />Legal opinions of July 13. 1966. and December 30, 1971, frOm the <br />Department of the Interior Associate Solicitor uphold the Service's <br />authority to conduct atmospheric water resources research. <br /> <br />In 1977. the Service was specifically directed and funded to "prepare <br />plans for the Colorado River Augmentation Program." ~/ <br /> <br />Also in 1977, under the Emergency Drought Act (Public Law 95-18, as <br />amended). the Service allocated over $2 million to six states for <br />supplemental support of their operational cloud seeding projects. <br />including a total of over $1 million to the States of Colorado and <br />Utah for winter cloud seeding in the Colorado River Basin. In <br />addition, Project Skywater provides technical assistance, computer <br />system support, and equipment loans to operational weather modifica- <br />tion programs through cooperative agreements with state agencies <br />and local users. <br /> <br />The growing recognition of the value of weather modification as a <br />water resources management tool of the Department of the Interior <br />in critically water-short areas is also reflected in a recent con- <br />gressional recommendation: "Further, the Committee recognizes the <br />importance of the development of weather modification as a means of <br />mitigating drought in semi-arid regions of the United States. The <br />Committee recommends that the Water and Power Resources Service <br />allocate $1,000,000 from within the total resources available to the <br />Service to conduct rain augmentation research in the southwest in <br />areas where drought patterns are developing." 1/ <br /> <br />Congress provided a 5600.000 write-in in FY 1978 and 5500,000 in <br />FY 1979 to implement planning for the Colorado River Augmentation <br />Program. The FY 1978 appropriation funded a series of exploratory <br />scientific background studies witb two primary objectives: (a) to <br />provide additional scientific input to the early planning decisions <br />and design studies. and (b) to develop and test various coordination <br />working arrangements between state and local groups and Project <br />Skywater. such as the research-operational activities in Colorado <br />and Utah. Digital research radar and airborne particle measuring <br />systems were used for the first time on winter atmospheric studies <br />over the Uinta Mountains during this period. <br /> <br />11-3 <br />