A file photo of Charles Holmgren of Bear River City firing up his cloudseeding generator on Thursday Jan. 5 2023.
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Division of Water Resources is hosting its first Cloud Seeding Symposium on Thursday, Sept. 28 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. located at Snowbird Resort, Cliff Lodge.
The symposium will bring together experts from the all across the Western United States that are currently harnessing this weather modification technology to enhance the water supply.
The event includes a cloud seeder demonstration, which is used to disperse silver iodide into winter clouds to increase precipitation.
The Northern Utah Seeding Program has over 170 ground-based, manually operated, Cloud Nuclei Generator (CNG) sites.
“We are expecting everyone to come together and talk about the future of cloud seeding,” said Michael Sanchez public information officer for the UDWR. “We are hoping to have about 80 people there.”
Utah has been cloud seeding since the early 1950s to help augment the state’s water supply. It is a is a low-cost, low-risk, non-structural method.
“In Utah cloud seeding has increased the state’s water supply between 5-15 percent,” he said. “In 2023, the Utah Legislature allocated $12 million in one-time funding and provided an ongoing annual budget of $5 million to expand the program.”
Sanchez said they are hoping some of the State Legislature will come see what their money is being spent on.
“Cloud seeding could bolster the water situation across the west,” he said. “Cloud seeding isn’t creating precipitation or clouds it is boosting water content in the clouds that are already there.”
Topics covered during the symposium:
- Exclusive access to water security insights – Discover how cloud seeding impacts our water supply and explore the science behind weather modification and its role in ensuring water security.
- Interview industry leaders – Connect with leading experts, scientists and policymakers who can provide media-rich insights into the critical connection between cloud seeding and our water resources.
- Impactful reporting – Understand the environmental and societal implications of cloud seeding operations, enabling your audience to understand cloud seeding operations.
- Cloud seeder demonstration – Capture captivating visuals of a cloud seeding generator and learn about the potential to bolster our water supply. This event offers unique opportunities for multimedia content creation. There will be a remote cloud seeder demonstration at 10:15 a.m.
Several communities throughout Northern Utah utilize cloud seeding techniques.