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<br />Issues <br /> <br />The Need for Funding <br /> <br />There is little or no research associated with any of these operational programs, which <br />highlights the need for intensive studies to further develop a scientific basis for <br />WxMod technology. Many current precipitation enhancement projects, particularly in <br />developing countries, use old technology and lack the latest instruments and other <br />operational tools. The use of modern observational tools, models, experimental design <br />techniques, and statistical evaluation techniques are prerequisites for shedding light on <br />cause-and-effect relationships. <br /> <br />As discussed earlier, when WxMod was actively pursued up until the late 1970s, funding <br />in the United States was around $20 million per year for both operational and research <br />projects. This amount dwindled to about $3 million per year from the mid-1980s to mid- <br />1990s, for the Atmospheric Modification Program, then declined markedly after that. <br />Several projects continue in the United States, but most work occurs in South Africa, <br />Australia, Israel, China, the United Arab Emimtes, and other countries. <br /> <br />Program Costs <br /> <br />Cost per acre-foot and benefit-to-cost mtions for Utah and Nevada were provided above, <br />and the cost to expand ongoing projects in Colomdo (described in Section III below) is <br />approximately $10 per acre-foot. <br /> <br />Generally, existing programs cost one-third that of new programs, and costs for cloud <br />seeding generally would be less than $20 per acre-foot. This is because much of the <br />background work has been completed and the instrumentation array is in place. <br />However, this would not be true for a relatively large program in the Colorado River <br />Basin. It is estimated that $3 million are being spent on current operations in the United <br />States. The California Department of Water Resources has estimated that seeding to <br />produce 300,000-400,000 acre-feet of potential new supply could require around $7 <br />million, which would be about $19 per acre-foot which includes an initial investment of <br />an estimated $1.5 to 2 million in planning and environmental studies (DWR, 2004t. <br />This is favorable compared to developing traditional water resources projects. <br /> <br />Evidence Versus Proof and Uncertainties <br /> <br />The effectiveness ofWxMod is probably best presented as a "level of proof' needed to <br />meet project objectives. There is a growing body of evidence that cloud seeding does <br />work and can produce beneficial effects, yet it is also stated that conclusive proof does <br />not exist. The WMA submits that ranges of effects can be developed using statistically <br />significant results of carefully controlled, randomized experiments, physical evidence <br />obtained through laboratory and atmospheric experimentation and observation, and the <br /> <br />.p.IO <br /> <br />-17- <br />