2019-2020 ANNUAL CLOUD SEEDING REPORT
UPPER SNAKE RIVER VALLEY CLOUD SEEDING PROJECT
Augmenting snow to increase surface and aquifer water supplies.
Eastern Idaho’s surface and ground water resources of the Snake River Basin have been stressed by drought, population growth, and increasing demands by agriculture, cities, and recreational activities. Severe drought conditions have reinforced the need to use all potential water management tools, including cloud seeding, to enhance the low water supplies.
Cloud Seeding in the Upper Snake River Valley counties officially began in December of 2003. These were annual programs that fluctuated based on budgets. During 2007/2008 the program significantly expanded up under the coordination of the HCRC&D Council. The Council made a committment to operate a cloud seeding program that includes a monitoring component to scientifically evaluate the programs benefits.
The project is managed by the High Country RC&D Cloud Seeding Steering Committee. The committee manages the program by determining the placement of generators, conducting fund raising, developing budgets and approving costs, and monitoring the results of the project. The current operating budget is raised from 52 sponsors including cities, counties, water districts, conservation districts, local land owners, and private business; with major in-kind support from Idaho Power and the ID Water Resources Board.
Our 2015-2016 Cloud Seeding Season started November 1, 2015. The project includes 25 ground based generators and 25 remote controlled generators located in Bingham, Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, Madison, and Teton Idaho, and Teton Wyoming Counties. The generator locations are above 6,000 feet and placed to impact a target area in the mountains, down-wind from the generator.
Let it Snow, the project contractor based in Clark County, and Idaho Power Company monitor weather conditions including storm patterns, wind speeds, and cloud temperatures to determine when to turn specific generators on and off. Idaho Power provides a year end report, based on their new, state-of-the-art high resolution model. (See the report posted below)
Over the last two seasons, the model shows that we our collaborative project has resulted in an average of 125,000 acre feet of water reaching the Milner Dam (near Twin Falls), after all the use in the Upper Snake River. That about 1 .5 Henry's Lakes of "extra" water with a value of $2.5 million dollars.
This year the Collaborative will be piloting aircraft seeding. Model's show that adding aircraft could significantly increase the amount of snow generated, especially in the Clark County/Island Park Area. Aircraft seeding is significantly more expensive than ground based seeding. However, many storms can be seeded with aircraft that could not be seeded via the ground generators because of unfavorable conditions on the ground (too warm, too much wind, inversions). Idaho Power and ID Water Resources Board are providing the funding for the aircraft. We hope that the pilot shows that aircraft seeding will be economically feasible (cost vs. return on investment in "extra" snow).
Cloud Seeding in the Upper Snake River Valley counties officially began in December of 2003. These were annual programs that fluctuated based on budgets. During 2007/2008 the program significantly expanded up under the coordination of the HCRC&D Council. The Council made a committment to operate a cloud seeding program that includes a monitoring component to scientifically evaluate the programs benefits.
The project is managed by the High Country RC&D Cloud Seeding Steering Committee. The committee manages the program by determining the placement of generators, conducting fund raising, developing budgets and approving costs, and monitoring the results of the project. The current operating budget is raised from 52 sponsors including cities, counties, water districts, conservation districts, local land owners, and private business; with major in-kind support from Idaho Power and the ID Water Resources Board.
Our 2015-2016 Cloud Seeding Season started November 1, 2015. The project includes 25 ground based generators and 25 remote controlled generators located in Bingham, Bonneville, Clark, Fremont, Madison, and Teton Idaho, and Teton Wyoming Counties. The generator locations are above 6,000 feet and placed to impact a target area in the mountains, down-wind from the generator.
Let it Snow, the project contractor based in Clark County, and Idaho Power Company monitor weather conditions including storm patterns, wind speeds, and cloud temperatures to determine when to turn specific generators on and off. Idaho Power provides a year end report, based on their new, state-of-the-art high resolution model. (See the report posted below)
Over the last two seasons, the model shows that we our collaborative project has resulted in an average of 125,000 acre feet of water reaching the Milner Dam (near Twin Falls), after all the use in the Upper Snake River. That about 1 .5 Henry's Lakes of "extra" water with a value of $2.5 million dollars.
This year the Collaborative will be piloting aircraft seeding. Model's show that adding aircraft could significantly increase the amount of snow generated, especially in the Clark County/Island Park Area. Aircraft seeding is significantly more expensive than ground based seeding. However, many storms can be seeded with aircraft that could not be seeded via the ground generators because of unfavorable conditions on the ground (too warm, too much wind, inversions). Idaho Power and ID Water Resources Board are providing the funding for the aircraft. We hope that the pilot shows that aircraft seeding will be economically feasible (cost vs. return on investment in "extra" snow).
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Cloud Seeding uses silver Iodide and Propane to form snow crystals.
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Snotel Sites: NRCS employees check snow depth, precipitation, temperature, and soil moisture.
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For More Information about Cloud Seeding in General - Check Out the following Links: North American Weather Modification Council: Idaho Power - Cloud Seeding: |
Ground based generators are turned on and off by local landowners.
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| 2014-2105_map_of_generators___flight_lines.pdf |
Project Funding:
- $98,802.46 Local Donors (2014 - 2015 Season)
2014-2015 Project Partners: High Country RC&D, Idaho Power, Idaho Water Resource Board, A&B Irrigation District, Bingham County, Bingham Ground Water District,Birch Power Company,Bonneville County,Central Bingham SWCD, City of Arimo,City of Dubois, City of Iona,City of Rexburg,City of St. Anthony, Sugar City, City of Victor, Clark County,Clark County Water District 32-C, Clark County SCD, East Cassia SWCD,East Side SWCD, Egin Bench Canals, Inc. Enterprise Irrigation District, Falls Irrigation District, Fall River REC, Fremont County,Fremont County Farm Bureau, Fremont County Snowmobile Club, Fremont- Madison Irrigation District, Henry's Fork Foundation, Henry's Lake Foundation,Idaho Falls Power-City of Idaho Falls, Idaho Irrigation District, Idaho Mountain Trading Company, Jefferson Clark Ground Water District, Jefferson County, Jefferson County Farm Bureau, Jerome County, Madison County, Madison SWCD, Marysville Irrigation Company, Minidoka SWCD, New Sweden Irrigation District, North Fork Protective Association, North Fremont Canal Systems, Inc., Place Farms Ltd. Power County, Reno Ditch Company, South Bingham SCD, Teton Irrigation & Manufacture Company, Twin Falls Canal Company, Water District 1, West Side SWCD.