New Water Source for the West?

 

In 2003, the National Academy of Sciences questioned the science behind cloud seeding and called for national research into the practice. The Wyoming project seeks to determine whether cloud seeding can increase runoff from three mountain ranges -- the Wind River, Medicine Bow and Sierra Madre.

The Colorado River Basin, fed mainly by water from the mountains, is a major water supply for seven states. But increasing demand for water has water managers fearing shortages in the future. If more snow can be produced in the mountains by cloud seeding, it would mean more water for cities, towns and farms. However, whether cloud seeding actually works has been the subject of debate among the scientific community. Now Wyoming is embarking on an $8.8 million, five-year cloud-seeding project that aims to bolster mountain snowpack, and possibly yield proof of whether cloud seeding actually works.

Source: Associated Press