WMOD00532

• Title: The Rain Stimulation Campaign in Panama Summer 1983
• Date: 6/1/1984
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

At:tpendix B

F acsimille of
Interagency C()oper.ative Agreement
ttetween
Panama Canal <:ommission
a:nd
U.S. Departlnent 4()f the Interior
Bureau lof Reclamation

I. Background

The Panama Canal Act of 1979 established the Panama Canal Com,
mission (Commission), an appropriated fund agency of the United
States, to manage, operate and maintain the interoceanic waterway.

The Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau), an appropriated fund agency of
the United States, is authorized to undertake weather modification
activities in conjunction with water resources development and to
cooperate with other states and agencies under Acts of Congress of
June 17, 1902, (32 Stat. 388) and of March 4,1921 (41 Stat. 1404) as
supplemented and amended.

The Commission has determined that the unusually low rainfall in
recent months has adversely affected Canal operations; that the
weather modification (cloud seeding) procedure has a scientific base;
that weather modification has advanced beyond basic exploration,
although rainfall augmentation cannot be considered a prov1m opera,
tional technology, nor can it be used with a guarantee of success; that
the amount of rainfall generated cannot exceed the amount of mois,
ture in the atmosphere; and that the drought conditions in the Repub-
lic of Panama create a clear emergency and public exigency
situation.

The Commission has decided to proceed with a cloud seeding project
based on the Bureau's opinion that, if available techniques are applied
and if climatic conditions are suitable, an emergency drought relief
weather modification program could be beneficial in watersheds
supplying water to the Panama Canal and other hydro. related activi,
ties and should not worsen drought conditions. To this end, this
Interagency Cooperative Agreement (Agreement) has been entered
into by the Commission and the Bureau whereby the Bureau will
conduct, on behalf of the Commission and the Instituto de Hecursos
Hidraulicos y Electrificacion (IRHE), a well designed and ,~xecuted

emergency drought relief cloud seeding project over the Gatun,
Madden and Bayano watersheds in the Republic of Panama, in an
attempt to increase rainfall in the affected areas, subject to the
following terms and conditions.

Projject Objective. The purpose and scope of the project is to
augment water supply on an emergency basis in the Gatun, Madden
and Bayano watersheds until such time as water reserves are consi-
dere:d adequate for normal needs, or until August 16, 1983, whichever
is earlier. The procedure to be used is seeding of potential rainclouds
over these watersheds and their approaches. The project will begin
on or before May 16, 1983.

Compliance with Environmental Laws. A programmatic Final
Environmental Statement for the Bureau of Reclamation's Project
Skywater (INT FES 77-39), dated October 23, 1977, which also
considered applications of technologies being developed, is on file
with the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality. The Bureau has
concluded that a short,term, limited application of cloud seeding,
given the wide variability of natural precipitation and the findings of
environmental impact research, should have no significant adverse
effect on the environment.

Executive order 12114, January 4, 1979, "Environmental Effects
Abroad of Major Federal Actions", provides exemptions in Section
2-5(vii) for disaster and emergency relief action. The Bureau of
Reclamation Emergency Drought Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-18) approved
April 7 , 1977, in Section 5 provided that such emergency actions were
not major Federal action. Under the Act, emergency drought relief
cloud seeding was funded in six western states.

It has been determined by appropriate officials of the Commission
than an emergency situation exists; therefore the foregoing provisions
are applicable.

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