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<br />FOREWORD <br /> <br />The California DW'"R (Department of\Vater R.esources) has the responsibility to help protect, <br />conserve, develop and manage California's water for present and future needs. Paramount <br />in this responsibility is the examination of current water use and supply, and development <br />of plans to meet the water needs of a continually increasing population that has grown from <br />24 million to 30 million between 1980 and 1990, and is expect.ed to increase t{) 40 million by <br />2010. <br /> <br />Snowpack augmentation through cloud seeding is a nonstructural and environmentally <br />preferred alternative for increasing water supplies. Cloud seeding in California has been <br />used for over 40 years. From 1987 through 1991, the DW'"R, in cooperation with R.eclamation <br />(Bureau of Reclamation), designed a snowpack augmentation research project and prepared <br />the required EIS (Environmental Impact Stat.ement). Three preliminary field programs were <br />conducted during the winters of 1988-89, 1989-90, and 1990-91. During these three wint.ers, <br />remote liquid propane dispenser testing was conducted under actual field conditions. <br /> <br />The winter of 1991-92 marked the commencement of the planned five-year experimental <br />LOREP (Lake Oroville Runoff Enhancement Project). The LOREP, funded by the California <br />8\\'1> (State \Vater Project) contractors, was deSIgned to increase runoff to Oroville Reservoir, <br />the largest reservoir of the 8\\'1>, through seeding ofwint.ertime orographic clouds. Seeding <br />was performed along the Sierra crest above the lVIiddle Fork Feather River, using ten <br />remotely operated liquid propane dispensers, during the 1991-92, 1992-93, and 1993-94 <br />winter seasons. <br /> <br />The LOREP was suspended after completion of only three years of the intended five-year <br />project. D\VR management suspended the project prematurely because of circumstances that <br />indicated that the LOREP could not be successfully completed on schedule. <br /> <br />This report constitutes the final report on the LOREP (Lake Oro"\-ille Runoff Enhanc.ement <br />Project). Appendix A provides the 1993-94 field season budget breakdown for the LOREP. <br /> <br />111 <br />