WMOD00577

• Title: Southwest Drought Research Program Workshop - Summary Report
• Date: 11/12/1981
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

SUMMARY REPORT
SOUTHWEST DROUGHT RESEARCH PROGRAM WORKSHOP

INTRODUCTION

Workshop chairman. Mr. Richard Eddy, welcomed the participants (app. A).
Mr. Patrick Hurley, Chief of the Bureau of Reclamation's Planning and Special
Projects Branch, described the history of the Southwest Drought Research
Program, and Mr. Eddy outlined the general components of the program.

Background Information

The Bureau of Reclamation has been assigned the responsibility for mounting a
drought-related research effort in the Southwest region of the United
States. This program was initiated by the Senate Committee on Appropriations,
which recommended that the Bureau allocate SI million for krafn augmentation
research in the Southwest in areas where drought patterns are developing"
(Report No. 95-1069 on the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill.
1979, dated August 7, 1978). For the purpose of this research effort, the
Southwest has been defined by the Bureau a~ the States of Arizona, Colorado,
Kansas. New Mexico. Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Kansas and New ~'exico have
elected not to participate in the program.

The Southwest Drought Research Program is a cooperative effort between the
Bureau of Reclamation and State agencies to carry out multidisciplinary
research tasks leading toward a regional capability for applying weather
modification to lessen the impacts of drought. Each participating agency
shares, with the Bureau, both the costs of the research and the responsibilities
for developing the work tasks and evaluating the products. As a result of
this program, the states will increase their knowledge of weather modification
technology and its appropriate applications (and limitations). Some of the
states involved in the program will prepare weather modification contingency
plans; others will limit their activity to acquiring information needed to
prepare plans in the future.

I