WMOD00043

• Contract/Permit #: Denied
• Applicant: Western Kansas Groundwater
• Project Name: Kansas Weather Modification
• Title: Denied
• Date: 1/1/1996
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Proof of Public Notice

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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
96-11

RECEIVED
JUL 031996

FOR THE PERIOD JUNE 22 - 28, 1996

Colorado Water
Conservation Board

General Interest: Although this weekly sununary does not extend
through the end of June, we were able to make this late additi?n
and update a few things through the end of the month before th~s
gets printed. As of June 30th"we have just established a record
for the most ever number of operational (seeding) days in one
month, both for the month of June and for any month, to date, of
the WKWM Program"s 22 seasons, We had 23 seeding days this, June;
the most number of days previously was in June 1986 at 21 days.
Ending June 30th, we have had 36 seeding days to-date, also a
record number of seeding days for the same point in time of any of
the pas-t 22 seasons and the most number of seeding' days 'for any
May-June period. '

Before we get too excited, we should remember that these days
came with a price. With high numbers of seeding days have come the
numerous hail-bearing storms at all hours of the day and night,
some of which were unseedable due to natural storm complexity or
having more storms than we were capable of seeding, or even some
which produced hail damage when below-minimum weather conditions
prevented us from being able to safely fly, But, with the increased
number of seeding days came many opportunities to increase rainfall
in the target area (no rainfall stimulation has been performed
since June 22nd and before that, June 15th). Similarly, it looks
safe to say the famous "Drought of 1996" may have come to an end
temporarily, if not for the remainder of the summer.

On a different note: We initially felt proud of the fact that
the WKWM Program and Western Kansas was going to be featured on the
CBS Evening News', "Eye on America" segment with Dan Rather, June
24th. However, after watching the segment, we came away feeling
disappointed in what was said and what was not said as well as
about much of what was inferred'or insinuated. There's too much to
wake mantion of in the space of this newsletter fo'r now, maybe
another time or next week. A list of the points made in the segment
have been itemized along with our response to each. Admittedly,
there,were wa.rni~gs that something l~ke this might happen, somehow.
However, unt~l ~t happens to you, ~t seems unlikely, Some people
use the word "spin" to describe a network's attempt to present
news, others might say they "manufacture" news, not report it. CBS
would say they are presenting both sides of a story while we say,
as experts. it's pathetic CBS couldn't" wouldn' t, or perhaps is
incapable of even being able to report a real story.

OPERATIONS: This was another week of heavy seeding operations 6 out
of 7 days. A large trough aloft remained off the west coast which
allowed intermittent minor wave perturbations to rotate through the
general upper air circulation pattern and act as a catalyst to help
produce storm development in, and around, the region.