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<br />.. <br /> <br />Product Produced: The study will examine the technology produced in Utah for cloud seeding and <br />attempt to determine its applicability to Colorado. The cloud seeding experiment in Utah appears to <br />have provided strong evidence that seeding by propane release in winter orographic clouds can increase <br />water supplies. Use of propane expands the cloud seeding window of opportunity over the more <br />traditional silver iodide agent. Each Colorado mountain barrier may require study for determining the <br />best cloud treatment approach. The Utah results suggest that more treated barriers should lead to more <br />water production. <br /> <br />Water Planning Relationship: Increasing water production by cloud seeding may be a viable <br />addition to water planning. Providing useful data for water managers to utilize that could increase water <br />supplies relates to the overall direction that CWCB goals are heading. <br /> <br />Recommendation: Staff gives a high recommendation for funding of this project because of its <br />importance to water management and the increased likelihood of successful cloud seeding operations <br />and quantifications of potential benefits to water supply as a result of cloud seeding activities in <br />Colorado. <br /> <br />4. Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRhaS) <br /> <br />Beneficiary/Grantee/Contractor: <br />Amount of Request: <br /> <br />Colorado State University, Colorado Climate Center, Various <br />$35,000 Ranking: Low <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />Product Produced: Funding will be used to continue the efforts of the Community Collaborative <br />Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRhaS). This project began in Larimer County in 1998 and is <br />currently a statewide volunteer network. Funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) has <br />allowed Colorado to benefit from a creative science education program that encourages citizen <br />participation in monitoring precipitation and its impacts on our state. The funds will be running out early <br />in 2006. Funds will be needed to help sustain the program while a new proposal is submitted to NSF in <br />2006. The target is to place special emphasis on recruiting more volunteers and working closely with <br />schools in agricultural and mountainous areas of Colorado to better monitor water supplies, runoff, soil <br />moisture and emerging or potential drought and flood conditions. <br /> <br />The goals for 2007 will be to expand climate monitoring in Colorado and to create a team of local water <br />learners from across the state. From July 2007 through June 2008, at least 600 new observing sites will <br />be added to the existing precipitation monitoring network. This will increase the ability to detect and <br />describe emerging drought and water shortages. This network will more likely be able to accurately <br />document rainfall depth, and area and duration associated with flood-producing storms. <br /> <br />Water Planning Relationship: Access to accurate, detailed and timely precipitation data is critical <br />for drought monitoring, water supply planning and management, construction project planning and <br />design, flood warning and documentation, and water education. <br /> <br />Recommendation: Staff gives a low recommendation for funding of this project because it is the <br />development of an additional source of data that can be useful in storm event flood documentation of <br />rainfall amounts and for forecasting streamflow conditions in a basin. <br /> <br />.. <br /> <br />5. Changes in the Timing of Snowmelt and Spring Runoff in the Colorado Rocky Mountains <br /> <br />Beneficiary/Grantee/Contractor: USGS, Various <br />Amount of Request: $50,000 <br /> <br />Ranking: <br /> <br />Medium <br /> <br />17 <br /> <br />- <br />