Cloud Seeding Project for Tahoe and Truckee Basins
for WY2010

Project Sponsor: Desert Research Institute
Grant amount: $165,151
Organization Match: $52,674 (cash)
Funding date: September 2009
Grant # 67

The goal of this project is to enhance snowfall from winter storms to increase the snowpack of the Tahoe and Truckee Basins through the application of wintertime cloud seeding technology.

TMWA Benefit:
Desert Research Institute (DRI) experiments indicated that snowfall in the watershed can be enhanced with cloud seeding operations. DRI estimates that snowfall water yields can be increased ranging from 8,000 to 30,000 acre-feet per season. This provides a direct benefit to the Truckee River watershed from which TMWA draws 85% of its water supply.