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t • Water Project Construction Program- Project Data Non-Reimbursable Investment • Grantee: Colorado Water Conservation Board County: Statewide Project Name: Weather Modification-Water User Cost Share Assistance Project Type: Grants for operations,grants and technical assistance to optimize wintertime cloud seeding programs Drainage Basin: San Juan,Gunnison,Colorado Water Source: Colorado River Basin Total Project Cost: $650,000 (Annual Total Avg.) Funding Source: CWCB Const. Fund Type of Grantee: State to Local Governments CWCB Non-Reimbursable Inv.: $175,000 SUMMARY The CWCB has authority to permit and regulate weather modification operations in Colorado (C.R.S 36-20-101 through 36-20-127). The CWCB also has authorities to aide in the water development. In section 36-20-108(4)(b) it states that "The director may 4 represent the State and assist counties, municipalities, and public agencies in contracting with commercial operators for the performance of weather modification or cloud seeding __ operations." This request is to cost-share in the development of wintertime cloud seeding programs. Statutes also state there is a State role in technological advancements. The R ps `1t• Grand Mesa, Gunnison Basin, Upper Roaring Fork River Basin, main-stem of the ` `° `�. Colorado River and Southwest River Basins all benefit from cloud seeding for additional 4 '..4""' snowpack.Water augmentation agreements between the CWCB,the State of New Mexico, _ 3 and three Colorado River Basin Water Users were developed in 2007 to support • Colorado's cloud seeding programs. Similar agreements are in place in Utah and ` Wyoming. To help with technological advancements the CWCB has been partnering with _ "' , ....1 the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada. DRI went to remote operated � - 4': x communication) generators in 1975 in order to reliably release the silver iodide seeding . - material near clouds. Research has shown that the 700Mili bar level or near the 10,000 - foot elevation level is preferable to site cloud seeding generators to get in the low level steering winds and reliably get silver iodide into winter storm systems. At right is Colorado's first remote operated generator at the Grand Mesa program. In the picture the old manual operated generator is tan (right), a propane tank (middle), and Colorado's first remote operated generator (green) are shown. This picture illustrates a thirty five year advancement in technology. Staff believes equipment like this will help build confidence in our programs and their effectiveness. This has become an issue of statewide and regional significance. Approximately $3.3 million has been spent on wintertime cloud seeding in the last five years with 60% of the funding from ski areas,local water users,and local governments. The other 20%is from the CWCB and the other 20% is from the Southern Nevada Water Authority, Central Arizona Water Conservation District, California Six Agency Committee, and the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission. Each year the out-of-state agencies are very interested in the CWCB and local expenditures before they sign agreements and give donations to the CWCB to dispense to local project sponsors of cloud seeding programs. Recent accomplishments with funding from these five states are: new specialized weather stations to guide decisions for the Grand Mesa, at Purgatory Ski Area, Winter Park Ski area, and Telluride Ski Area. New remote operated cloud seeding generators at: Cedaredge above the Water Treatment plant, on Mancos Mountain in the San Juan Mountains, and west and north of Winter Park Ski Area Funding also extends the length of time of operations into February. A recent CWCB sponsored study by HDR Engineering managed by USBR showed that February is i 7 �_ ' a crucial month for cloud seeding in Colorado. Finally, the CWCB has spearheaded an initiative to use a Liquid Propane Dispenser operationally on the Grand Mesa. A USBR randomized t``` experiment in 2004 on the Wasatch Plateau in Utah showed that L.P. Dispensers are effective for •cloud seeding and work at warmer temperatures than traditional ice nuclei generators that use .. ` -.. silver iodide. If current climate change modeling predictions come to fruition this type of technology may be useful at ski areas and in southwestern Colorado where the forecasted warmer temperatures can shrink the window of opportunity for traditional cloud seeding. At right is the L.P. dispenser on the Grand Mesa operational since 2007.