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<br />operational \".inter cloud seeding programs in recent years covering approximately 13.000 square <br />miles. r..lost of thcsc programs havc becn conducted in the Sierra Nevada rcgion although <br />programs have also becn operated in some coastal counties (i.e.. Los Angeles. Monterey and <br />Santa Barbara Counties). The California Water Plan contains an interesting statement which is as <br />follows. <br />Four vJ the existing clvml seedinx projects in California are sponsored by hydroelectric <br />utilities. These fiwr proje(:l.\. probahly (lCt:ount Jor abollt a third vJthe estimated statewide water <br />prodllction h)' cloud seeding. There is some concern that if these power plants are sold. either as <br />part oJderegulation or other rea.\'OflS. new owners "fa)' not he interested in continuing clolld <br />.w:edinx. This would res"lt in some loss in iHlter supply Jor downstream users who have heen <br />indirect~}' benefitingJrom the added water. The State Pllblic Utilities Commission is m...'are of <br />this possihility ami has tried to ensure. as a condition of tranifer, thaI the weather modUication <br />would i'on/inllt!. <br /> <br />There havc bcen -1-5 wintcr opcrational cloud sceding programs conducted in Nevada in <br />recent years. Some of these programs date back to 1981. Targeted areas include drainagcs on the <br />eastcrn slopes ofthc Sit:rra Nevada Range (Llke Tilhoe. Truckee. Carson and Walkcr Rivers). <br />the Ruby tVlountains (Upper lIumbolt River). the Tuscarora Mountains (South Fork of the <br />Owyhee River). and the Toiyabe Mountains (the Reese River). <br /> <br />Winter operational programs conducted in Utah date back to the early 1950's with more <br />reccnt programs running from 1974 to the present. Normally 3-4 ditlcrent projects have been <br />activc in recent ycars. covcring approximately 13.250 squarc miles. Targcted drainages includc <br />portions of the Sevier. Virgin. Bear, Duchesne. \Vebcr and Provo Rivers. <br /> <br />Programs conducted in Colorado also datc back to the 1950s. Programs have reccntly <br />bcen conducted in the Central Colorado Rockies (Upper Colorado and Rio Grande Drainages). <br />the Grand Mesa area (tributaries ofthc Gunnison and Colorado Rivers). the uppcr Gunnison <br />River drainage. the San Juan Mountains (Dolores. La Plata. Las Animas. Los Pinos. Piedra. and <br />San Juan drainages). These programs cover approximately 6860 square miles. Smaller programs <br />have also been conducted to benetit some ski arcas (Aspen. Vail-Bcaver Creek. and Telluride). <br /> <br />Wyoming has one long-tcml program that has bccn conducted in the southwest portion of <br />the Wind River Range since 1975. The Wyoming Water Development Commission has funded <br />two feasibility/design studies for wintcr orographic seeding programs. Thc design for the first <br />study (WMI. 2004) conducted for the Wind Rivcr. ~tcdicinc Bow and Sicrra ~Iadre Ranges was <br />aeccpted and a live year program initiated in 2005 at an estimated cost of approximately 8.8 <br />million dollars. Its dcsign includes several features more commonly associated with research <br />programs. The second feasibility/design study is being conducted for the Salt River and <br />Wyoming Ranges in westcrn Wyoming. <br /> <br />The Stale of Idaho has also bcen the site of sevcral winter programs in recent years. <br />Several counties in eastcrn and southeastcrn Idaho were involved in programs in the mid to late <br />19905. Another program has bcell conducted over thc upper Boise River drainage for several <br />years dating back to the mid 1990s. Idaho Power designed and subscquently has operated a <br />program in thc uppcr Payette River drainage in central Idaho. Three seasons of operations have <br />