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<br />archi\'ing, and scientific analysis were provided by the Dyl~ in Casablanca. The GO~I provided <br />the field operations center and facilities for ~Iorocco's first weather radar in Khouribga. <br />180 kilometers southeast of Casablanca. Rawinsonde launch facilities were built at Beni ~Iellal and <br />Tissa. about 230 and 260 kilometers southeast of Casablanca, respectively. <br /> <br />Airborne seeding operations were conducted up to the spring of 1986 by four OV-lO aircraft based <br />at ~Iarrakech and thereafter by two King Air 100 aircraft based at Kenitra. 200 kilometers <br />northeast of Casablanca. One of the King Airs was equipped with ~lorocco's first cloud physics <br />data acquisition system in 1987. In addition. a radar-equipped Alpha Jet was available for high- <br />altitude seeding missions throughout the duration of the project. It was normally based at ~Ieknes. <br /> <br />American assistance provided o\'er $2 million in scientific equipment and supplies. These induded <br />the weather radar \\-ith its digital recording system, a cloud physics data acquisition system. aircraft <br />navigation systems. a satellite direct-readout ground station and analysis system. 2 rawinsonde <br />systems. 12 microcomputers and software for them. radio communications systems. teiecopier and <br />facsimile data recei\"ers. electronics workshop and test equipment. tools. and miscellaneous other <br />hardware and expendable supplies. The balance of the S-l million was provided in technology <br />transfer, which induded long- and short-term training programs. both formal and informal. project <br />design and management. and administrati\-e assistance for procurement. <br /> <br />Scientific basis. - The project was designed to use the latest a\'ailable technology in winter <br />orographic cloud seeding to increase the precipitation efficiency of cold clouds in the Central High <br />Atlas ~~Iountains in the vicinity of 32" X. and 7" W. The project used silver iodide (AgI) as the <br />seeding agent. Sil\"er iodide particles act as ice nuclei. converting supercooled cloud droplets to ice <br />crystals, which can grow rapidly into sno\\11akes. The silver iodide was released from aircraft. <br />ground-based seeding generators. or both during periods when seedable clouds existed that could <br />affect the target area. The methods were similar to those successfully employed in operational and <br />research projects in the Sierra ~evada of California. an area with climate and geography similar <br />to those of Morocco. <br /> <br />Project design. - Due to the severity of the ongoing drought, the cloud seeding plan called for the <br />treatment of all storms with seeding potential that were e~-pected to affect the drainage area of <br />about 7000 km2 feeding Bin El Ouidane reservoir. A target-control design was selected for the <br />statistical evaluation. This design required the selection of a control area near the target. Cloud <br />systems affecting the control area were not to be treated, but measurements would be made for <br />eventual use in the evaluation of seeding effects. Streamflow was selected as the primary response <br />variable for the statistical evaluation because lengthy records existed for the target and control <br />areas. Streamt10w is also the variable of primary importance to Moroccan water resources needs. <br /> <br />Major Achievements <br /> <br />1. Implementation of field operations. - The field program was initiated in July 1984 with <br />the construction of facilities and staffing of project headquarters and field sites. Headquarters <br />were set up at the Casablanca Anfa Airport. Field sites, including the radar operations center <br />and a rawinsonde station, were activated. Cloud seeding aircraft were modified for cloud <br />seeding and placed on station at Marrakech. <br /> <br />VI <br />