WMOD00544

• Project Name: Project Skywater
• Title: Project Skywater - An Introduction to Rivers in the Sky
• Date: 12/1/1973
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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This investment, however, has produced a
system of techniques, or "tools," that may
be applied to many weather situations.
Preliminary results indicate: (a) tech-
niques have advanced to a level and a
certainty for limited or emergency use;
(b) environmental impacts have been
found to be minor or transitory; (c) down-
wind effects frequently are positive; and
(d) benefit-cost ratios exceed 10: 1.

The Department of the Interior became
actively involved in weather modification

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Summertime convective

in 1961 when Congress appropriated
$100,000 for research into increasing rain-
fall through cloud seeding (Public Works
Appropriations Bill, 1962, Senate Report
No. 1097). The initial funds supported
studies at three universities. Since then,
Congress has supported 120 Skywater
field experiments, research projects, and
associated studies. Approximately 90 per-
cent of the funding has paid for research
and experimentation by contractors. In
1972, for instance, Skywater was working
through 14 universities or colleges, 8 pri-
vate research organizations, 8 Federal
agencies, and 5 state offices in a total of
41 interrelated projects.

In addition, the Bureau has been called
clouds forming over the upon to assist three states in providing
emergency drought relief through cloud
San Francisco Peaks near seeding.

Flagstaff, Arizona. The Bureau's approach in resear<eh is to
seek and use the best scientific expertise
available. An internal staff with equiva-
lent expertise manages and coordinates
the project. The compact, 26-member
Skywater staff includes four scientists with
extensive experience in the private sector,
physical scientists, meteorologists, elec-
tronic engineers, technicians, administra-
tive personnel, and several individuals
experienced in more than one field. They
are based in the Engineering and Research
Center, Denver, Colorado.

During the project's early years" many
improvements in seeding techniques were
developed by correlating and verifying
previously acquired information. RE~cently,
however, enough data have been assem-
bled from Bureau research, as well as
others, to give scientists an increasingly
accurate picture of rain and cloud proc-
esses. Using this knowledge, and sup-
ported by continuing experimental and
laboratory work, the program has placed
greater emphasis on larger field experi-
ments designed to test the practical
application of new techniques.

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