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<br />I <br /> <br />VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Our recoIlll1lendations this year echo past ones. We still <br />endorse pursuing interfacing our radar to our new computer. The <br />new computer obtained this year brought us a great efficiency in <br />data handling and word processing; we hope 1991 will be the year, <br />finally, to bring the rest of it all together, It may be best to <br />consider purchasing the expertise and software to make it happen <br />mare quickly instead Df continuing the present developmental <br />approach taken at this time. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />A second item relates to the retrieval of satellite photos an <br />a regular basis. Costs to obtain satellite pictures are steadily <br />coming down as technology improves; quality pictures with looping <br />capability and other important features appear obtainable at costs <br />of around $3000 now. Having claud pictures in near real-time can be <br />invaluable on our program prior to, and during operations; we look <br />forward to eventual deployment on the WKW Program. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Other items that ought to be considered in the future are: <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />(1) Getting another program evaluation done. It is my personal <br />belief it "is likely that even if the conventional <br />statistical methods of the past were used, controversial <br />as they are now, we could see positive results produced at <br />signficant statistical confidence levels---both in <br />rainfall increases and hail decreases. <br /> <br />I' <br /> <br />(2) Some effort should be expended in attempting to find a <br />qualified person, or group, to perform a realistic <br />economic impact evaluation of our activities. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Since the overwhelming amount of crop damage occurs on only a <br />few days in which our seeding resources are badly over-taxed each <br />year, it is reaaonable to expect that we would be more effective in <br />reducing hail on those few rnaj or storm days if we added mare <br />capability to the program. Additional reductions of hail up to an <br />equal amount of what we believe we are now getting, long-term, <br />would appea~to be a realistic expectation---a 60% - 70% reduction <br />instead of the current estimate of 30% - 35%. This could happen <br />with less than a doubling of project aircraft. The results we are <br />obtaining on this program are good, however, it could be very much <br />better if we could increase bath the aircraft numbers and the <br />amount of seeding agent carried by those aircraft. Both cloud base <br />and cloud top aircraft could remain alaft seeding longer when <br />needed on those few, lang-lasting severe storm days when the <br />duration of seeding capability really matters. Serious attention <br />should be given by all participating counties to making these <br />increases possible in the near future. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />35 <br />