Laserfiche WebLink
<br />002405 <br /> <br />The purpose of the first agreement was to prepare research and development <br /> <br />plans for activities within the state of Colorado and to coordinate activities <br /> <br /> <br />pertaining to increasing streamflow in the Colorado and adjacent river basins <br /> <br /> <br />with other involved states, agencies and institutions. <br /> <br />The second agreement's purpose is to continue cooperative federal, state and <br /> <br /> <br />local efforts in developing a scientifically sound and socially acceptable <br /> <br /> <br />technology for reducing impacts of droughts and providing increased flow in the <br /> <br /> <br />Co lorado River. <br /> <br />Activities conducted with the cooperative agreement funds include research and <br />support costs of program coordination and development. <br /> <br />Supplemental State Appropriations for Emergency Drought Relief Projects <br /> <br />The legislature appropriated supplemental funds for emergency drought relief <br /> <br /> <br />seeding in the winters of 1977 and 1978. Serious drought concerns developed <br /> <br />early in January 1977 when the major river systems of the state were not <br /> <br /> <br />expected to produce over fifty percent of the long-term average flow during the <br /> <br />coming summer. Experts in the use and evaluation of winter weather modification <br /> <br /> <br />testified at the committee hearings. The projects were supported by the <br /> <br /> <br />governor, and policy makers predicted that economic gain would be greater than <br /> <br />project cost. Thus, cloud seeding was seen as one potential means of <br /> <br />alleviating serious economic effects of drought. <br /> <br />A, Drought Relief in 1977 - House Bill No. 1160 <br /> <br />This bill provided a supplemental appropriation of $187,000 to the Department <br /> <br /> <br />of Natural Resources for weather modification to increase mountain snowpack <br /> <br /> <br />from early February until mid-May 1977, Target areas were the San Juan, <br /> <br /> <br />Climax, and North Front Range mountains. The appropriation was supplemented by <br /> <br /> <br />non-state funds in the amount of $62,000 for a total financial program of <br /> <br />$249,000. <br /> <br />15 <br />