Laserfiche WebLink
<br />CR~PIER T <br /> <br />INTRODUCTIO~ <br /> <br />Kew ~exico State University entered into a contract with the Office <br />of Atmospheric Water Resources, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the <br />Ir.terior on 1 February 1967. The contract is fer the development of an <br />engineering experimental precipitation management project in the Rio Grajde <br />Basin upstrea~ from Elephant Butte Reservoir. <br />Ever increasing demands on our water resources have resulted from tte <br />growing and varied use of water. The need for water to support our expanding <br />progress is ~Agniiied w3en we look closely at the vital role water has <br />played in the deve10p~ent of our industrial, agricultural, and domestic com- <br />plex. If the Lnited States is to ~intain its way of life and satisfy the <br />asbitions of her people in this changing world, then it is imperative that the <br />nation so control its water resources that these values can be enhanced and <br />protected. <br />Runoff in the Rio Grande for the past several years has been so low <br />that the water shortage now seems almost normal. The average flow for the <br />Rio Grance for the ten-year period, 1945 to 1954, was about two-thirds that of <br />the previous ten years. This condition has not materially changed during the <br />period 1955 through 1965. If it is to be assumed that streamflow is goi~g <br />to be average, it also can be assumed that it will be short. Several years <br />of below nor~~l precipitation, along ~ith rapid increases in water requireme~ts, <br />are responsible for the current shortage. <br />The importance of water resources augmentation for our survival is <br />self-evident. Foremost among the methods of water resources augmentation is <br />the modification of weather for increased precipitation and, therefore, runoff. <br />In fact, a successful project oi this sort in the Rio Grande basin would be a <br />blessing when viewed in the light of previous droughts. Further, the results <br />obtained in this field prcgram will be applicable to similar areas in the arid <br />southwest. <br />This report summarizes the research activities and results for the period <br />1 July 1967 through 30 June 1968. The New Mexico project is physically situated <br />within the Jemez and Sierra ~acimiento Mountain ranges near Cuba, New Mexico. <br /> <br />-1- <br />