Finance Committee Meeting 2010

• Board Meeting Date: 9/13/2010
• Description: Finance Sub-Comittee Meeting September 13, 2010
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

Non-Reimbursable Project Investment Application-CWCB Construction Fund
• Form Revised April2010
5. Explain why you are requesting a grant,instead of a loan. (the Construction Fund exists primarily to
provide low interest loans for the construction or rehabilitation of raw water projects. Non-
reimbursable investments are approved only when the project or study is of statewide interest and
benefits a wide range of people and organizations,and/or a large geographical area.
The CWCB funding leverages funding from New Mexico,Arizona,Nevada,and California.
There are approximately 105 ground based cloud nuclei generators in Colorado that are targeting mountain
ranges in Colorado to produce small amounts of additional snowpack and there are many beneficiaries of this
activity. In addition water augmentation through wintertime cloud seeding has become an issue of statewide
and regional significance through agreements to pursue water augmentation alternatives. The CWCB funding
also is used to help modernize equipment used by local programs.
In reference to question 6 below,the contractors for cloud seeding programs in Colorado are listed.They hold
the state of Colorado weather modification permit. The CWCB funding is distributed to local governments and
water districts,which then match with their own funding to contract with the cloud seeding consultants. The
entities that conduct cloud seeding and use CWCB funds are: Southwestern WCD,Dolores WCD,City of
Durango,Durango Mountain Resort,Florida WCD,Pine River Irrigation Distirct,Pagosa Areas W&S,
Gunnison County,Crested Butte Ski Area,Crested Butte W&S,Town of Gunnison,Collbran WCD,Grand
Mesa WCD,North Fork WCD,Fruitland Mesa WCD,Crawford WCD,City of Grand Junction,Colorado
Springs Utilties,and Denver Water
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6. List the names and addresses of any technical or legal consultants retained to represent the applicant or to
conduct investigations for the proposed project or study.
Name Address &Phone Number
Larry Hjermstad POB 58,Durango Colorado
Western Weather Consultants [phone]
Don Griffith 8180 South Highland Drive,Suite B-2,Sandy,UT 84093
North American Weather Consuoltants [phone]
Water Enhancement Authority P.O.Box 181,Eckert,CO 81410
7 List any feasibility study or scope of work that has been completed or is now in progress for the
proposed project or study. (Submit one copy with this application):
The feasibility of weather modification through cloud seeding is documented through numerous research experiments
predominiantly funded by NOAA and the USBR over the four decades.
Vail Streamflow Study-An analysis of streamflow using streamgage data generated during the 37 year permitted program for
the Vail/Beaver Creek cloud seeding program was conducted by Dr.Bernie Silverman a former USBR employee and
recognized expert in the field.The results are in the 2009 Weather Modification Association Journal.The statistical
streamflow analysis showed a positive effect on streamflow in small creeks from seeding along the I-70 corridor with
decreasing significance as you move away from 1-70.
• Also in the 2009 WMA journal is a paper about a new federal action to cloud seed near a National park in Australia.The
authors state that extensive investigation prior to and during the first four years of the project have shown that their
ecotoxicity monitoring network is sufficient to detect adverse trends in silver concentrations and"we consider the risk of an
adverse ecotoxicological impact resulting from the use of silver iodide for the project to be negligibly small."