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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I nr'1<j O')C'j Ul} .J.~~.J ,-,,'. modification is controversial, both among the water users withi n the target areas (what benefits some users may be detrimental to others) and with those downwind from the target areas who often believe that precipitation in their areas may be decreased. For these reasons, it is not antici- pated that weather modifi cat i on wi 11 become a si gnifi cant factor for High Plains agriculture for the foreseeable future. Research and app 1 i ed results to-date show suffi ci ent promi se for the future to justify a continuing research and develop- ment program. An extensi ve and comprehensi ve weather modi- fication research program called the High Plains Cooperative Program (or HIPLEX) was initiated in 1973 as a cooperative federal/state project "to develop a practical scientifically sound, and socially acceptable technology for precipitation management applicable to convective cloud systems in the High Plains Region of the United States". The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in cooperation with other federal agencies, the affected states and local organi zati ons admi ni sters the HIPLEX program as part of the overall Project Skywater. Research and fi e 1 d tests on HIPLEX technology are underway in three High Plains locations: Big Spring, Texas; Goodland, Kansas; and Miles City, Montana. These sites were chosen to represent respectively the southern, central and northern High Plains environments. Research to date has had mixed results at the three test sites. Seeding of summertime (growing season) convective cloud systems to increase effec- tive precipitation has not been very successful. Hail suppression and other violent weather reduction programs have been more effective and have been commercially imple- mented in several Hi gh Pl ai ns areas. Favorable cost-benefit 7