WSP00330

• File Number: 8210.470
• Description: Pacific Southwest Interagency Committee
• State: CO
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 12/9/1980
• Author: PSIAC
• Title: Minutes of the 80-3 Meeting - December 9-10 1980
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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PACIF'IC

UNITED STATES
SOUTHWEST INTER-AGENCY COMMITTEE
Office of the Chairman

BATAAN MEMORIAL BUILDING
Santo Fe. New Mex ico 87503 Telephone [phone]

CHAIRMAN
Ste~Et Ra)'nolds
S~at& Engineer
State ot New Mexico

MEMBERS
Arizona
California
Colorado
Idaho
Neyoda
Ne" M..lco'
Oregon
U~oh
Wyoming
USDA
ARMY
COMM
ENERGY
HUD
USDt
DOT
EPA

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January 22, 1981

Honorable James G. Watt
Secretary of the Interior
Depar~~ent of the Interior
Washington, D. C. 20240

Dear Mr. Secretary:

The Pacific Southwest Inter-Agency Corr~ittee (?SIAC) has
been sponsoring studies 0:: the region's vater and land resources
for many years. As many study reports ha,e shown, the Colorado
River Basin, which includes parts of seven of the nine states .
covered by PSIAC, faces. a serious Hater shortage in the f'.lture.
The significance of this impending water shortage has more than
normal national ramifications in vieH of the tremendous reserves
of fossil energy resources within the Basin, the development of
which will require the consumption of large quantities of water.

The Congress has recognized the unique water problems of
the Colorado River Basin and, in Public LaH 90-537, directed the
development of plans to meet both present and future water
requirements. In its report that partially rbsponded to that
directive, "West"Nide Study Report on Critical Hater Proble~s
Facing the Eleven Western States., April 1975, the Depart~ent
of the Interior recognized the need for augmentation of the
Colorado River's water supplies, and identified weather modifi-
cat~on as one of the possible means of augmentation. The Water
and Power Resources Service for several years has been conducting
studies of Heather modification in the Colorado River Basin to
augment water supplies. Its studies have advanced to the point
that a major effort should be made to verify incrGased preCipi-
tation and runoff through weather modification.

This conclusion is strongly supported by the Secretary of
Com;nerce's I-lea ther ~!odi::ica tion Advisory Eoard. In its 197:]
re,?ort, "The Hanage:nent of i;eat~9r Resourc~sn, the Board ~on-
eluded "... seeding vinter orographic storms to increase the
amount of sno'''' in the high rr'.ountai:1o:.J.s. "..;a t~~3hedt3 IJf th~" ~'~'=!nt
is the most adva~ced -- anc clo3es~ to significant, broa0.-scale
operational use -- of nIl cloud-s8~ding pozsibilitics ... ~~~

C-19

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