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<br />Grande WeD. CWCB hopes to Contract with local water users in July 2004 and assist in the set
<br />up of this equipments for greater understanding.
<br />
<br />:\'cw ;\Iexico Cloud Seeding
<br />Workshop: On Jan. 22-23
<br />the Jemez y Sangre Water
<br />Planning Council is hosting a
<br />workshop on Cloud Seeding.
<br />Various researchers and
<br />operational program sponsors
<br />are attending. The workshop
<br />is an attempt to better
<br />understand weather
<br />modification potential in the
<br />state and gather momentum
<br />for cloud seeding operational programs near the Santa Fe mountains to meet future water
<br />demands. The foIlO\\;ing graphic offers a comparison of topography between Colorado and 1'\ew
<br />fvtexico. ~ew .\lexica has mountainous terrain in the 9-11,000 ft range thaI could utilize ground
<br />base generators to augment snowpack. It is also safe to say the New Mexico doesn't have the
<br />colder temperatures and high altitude terrain that is in Colorado.
<br />
<br />i\oRC. Cricicallssues in \"eather Modification Research: The :-Jational Research Council
<br />(NRC) in latc 2003 released the long awaited report "Critical Issues in Weather Modification
<br />Research"that is essentially the state of the science ofrcsearch in weather modification. The
<br />Weather Modification Association (WMA) released a dral1 response to this report in January
<br />20040 The \V~IA is a large professional association of researchers. operational program
<br />operalors. weather modification program contractors and government regulators. The 1\'RC
<br />report states that there is a large lack of funding for this science, microphysical chemical
<br />processes arc not well understood, and conclusive repeatable demonstration of positive increases
<br />are lacking. The report then goes on to state that "There arc strong suggestions ofpositi...c
<br />seeding effects in wimer orographic glaciogenic systems (i.e., cloud systems occurring over
<br />mountainous terrain)." The NRC report's recommendations include a renewed commitment to
<br />understanding atmospheric proccss, taking of advantage of ne....' remote sensing and in situ
<br />technologies to study cloud seeding and the development of a coordinated national research
<br />program. The \\,MA's response to the 1\"RC Report included two criticisms: (1) the NRC report
<br />referenced a previous 1964 NRC report showing little knowledge about current operational
<br />\\'eather modification programs and an inappropriateness to make ajudgmcnlto stop ongoing
<br />operations and (2) that the NRC repoI1 acknowledged inadveI1ent weather modification works
<br />(e.go Greenhouse Gases affecting global temperatures and anthropogenic aerosols affecting cloud
<br />properties as a reality) but planned weather modification has no convincing scientific proof that
<br />it works. To restatc the \\':o.IA concerns how is possible that we can affect the weather
<br />unintemionally but can not intentionally? Howe..-er, the W~IA 's ultimate response 10 the NRC
<br />repon was to largely SUPPOI1 recommendations and add recommendations like: a comprehensive
<br />watershed experiment in the mountainous west (i.e. the Sierra Nevada ~Iountains, Utah or
<br />Colorado) that includes incorporates all the benefits/impacts (0 cloud seeding beneficiaries,
<br />shows the chain of eVents, uses remote sensing technologies and trace chemistry analysis, uses
<br />model simulations and links to snowpack, nmoff. recharge of aquifers. The experiment should
<br />also include an EIS that addresses water quality. stream !low standards and protection of
<br />endangered species. Then W~IA also wanted incorporation of models for the prediction.
<br />transport and dispersion of cloud seeding agents. use of meso-scale models. use of numerical
<br />modeling, use of instrumented storm penetrating aircraft, and make additional pilot training
<br />available. The last reconunendation that was likely the most peninent was (he
<br />
<br />13
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