Laserfiche WebLink
<br />- 2- <br /> <br />mountain ranges that arc the best cloud seeding targets for supplying additional water to the conflict areas. This <br />map should foster discussion of strategies to lessen the effects of droughts in the West. <br />The CWeB is a member of the North American Interstate Weather Modification Council (NAIWJ\.IC). <br />joining nine other Western states in seeking assistance and Federal partnerships. NAIWMC estimates that nearly <br />$15 million per year is spent by state and local entities on WM, despite little Federal funding in the field. The last <br />Federa] funding for WM research was in 2003 for the Bureau of Reclamation's Weather Damage i\loditication <br />Program (WDMP). \VDMP activities are expected to conclude in 2005. <br />The cweB endorses a permanent Congressional authorization to fund operations and evaluations, <br />modeled on the successful Federal-State partnership demonstrated by the WDMP. States will require the <br />leadership of either the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration in these <br />endeavors. We may also look to the recently approved Wyoming WM program, which provides state funding of <br />58.85 million for fivc years of operations and evaluation. California is also plannmg an operational/research WM <br />program. under the auspices of the California Energy Commission. <br />Cloud seeding to augment snowpack is. fortunately. the most reliable form of large-scale WM. The <br />Weathcr Modification Association. World Meteorological Organization. American Meteorological Society and <br />the National Academy of Sciences all state that there is strong evidence for seasonal precipitation incrcases over <br />natural precipitation. on the order of 10%. To achieve such increases. well-designed projecls mllst be operated <br />Oil a long-term and cOl/lillllillg basis. 1/01 jll.\'I during droughts. Such projects will help fill reservoirs for use <br />during times of greater need. The cost of WM is about S 10 per acre-foot. making it an attractive alternative to <br />desalinization (approximately S700/AF) and construction of new reservoirs (approximately SI000-5000/AF). <br />Given the typical costs of water for agricultural purposes. WM achieves hellejil-to-c051 ratios approaching 4010 <br />I. <br />We encourage renewed intcrest mto a cooperative program that commits to streamllow augmentation <br />along our major rivers. Pursuant to Section 20 I of the 1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act. the Congress <br />declared that "satisfaction of the requirements of the Mexican Water Trcaty from the Colorado River constitutes a <br />national obligation. which shall be the first obligation of any \vater augmentation project planned pursuant to <br />Section 201 of this Act as authorized by Congress." Augmentation could take on several forms. including WM <br />and imports from other River Basins such the Columbia. W~1 rcsearch showed potential m several areas during <br />]atc 1970s and 1980s. but subsequent wet periods reduced interest m exploiting this potcntial. Given the current <br />drought. weather moditication agam merits further investigation. Continually seeding storms will realize the <br />aforementioned 10% seasonal water increases. <br />Finally. there is growing evidence that air pollution has already been modifymg our weather and climate <br />and is inhibiting precipitation downwind of urban areas. Satellite pictures of clouds. climate studies. and ground <br />measurements indicate that air pollution is changing atmospheric aerosols critical to precipitation formation. <br />thereby decreasing rain and sno\\'. Weather modification allows us to use the same processes in reverse. <br />offsetting precipitation decreases caused by air pollution. <br />Over the past three decades. advances in radar and satellite observations. coupled with improved seeding <br />materials ha\'e allowed cloud scedmg to become more ene-ctive than ever before. The cwcn believes that WM <br />is an underutilized. cost effective. and credible form of water resource management that can mitigate the lingering <br />ene-cts of drought and need for additional water for new \vater projects. Succcssful implementation of WM <br />benetits to \vater management will require renewed commitment. follow-through. faith. and patience. We <br />encourage a dialogue at the WGA about our common challenges and strategies for basin-\vidc drought mitigation. <br /> <br />Attachments: <br />. CWCB \\'ealher ~todificalion Resolution <br />. Potential Wintenime Cloud Seeding Areas to Supply Future Water Contliel Regions (\lap) <br />. Weather ~lodiJication Programs in Western U.S. and Canada for 2005 (\lap) <br />. Frequently Asked Questions about Cloud Seeding 10 Augment \lountain Sno"''Pack <br /> <br />Flood Pn:Mrrtion 0 \V.un Pro~ct PLtnningand Fi!1.l.n~ 0 Strt.m.nd Llkt ProtrcbOn <br />WaltrSupplyProttctionoConstl'l.tiooPLtnning <br />