ASCE MOP 81

Abstract

Scope: PREFACE Traditional water resourcesmanagement pertains tomaking reasonable use of available water and desalinization and to minimizing loss because of floods. Atmospheric water management provides a cost-effectivemeans for augmenting available water and reducing damage during meteorological events. In many areas of the United States and the world, a need existes for new water supplies. These updated guidelines are intended to provide water resources managers and others with information and references that they will need for decision making regarding the use of cloud seeding to augment available water supplies. This manual incorporates pertinent background on the science and practice of weather modification by cloud seeding to augment precipitation. Legal, social, environmental, and economic factors motivating and limiting operational cloud seeding are reviewed. The technologies, instrumentation, and procedures needed to implement a cloud seeding program are described. This is all intended to give water resources managers the broad spectrum and practical details of what is involved in utilizing cloud seeding (atmospheric water management) technology. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Weather Modification Committee (1960–1985) and the Climate and Weather Change Committee (1985–1996) were fortunate enough to bring together experts in the weather modification field and have them devote a great amount of uncompensated volunteer time to write the first versions of this valuable document. The 1982 Weather Modification Committee, the 1993 Climate and Weather Change Committee, and the 1982 and 1994 Executive Committees of the Irrigation and Drainage Division are to be commended for their thorough and helpful review of the first document that was published in the ASCE Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering in March 1983, pp. 111–182 (parts written by Paul C. Summers: Foreword; Robert D. Elliott: Summary; Olin H. Foehner, Jr.: SEE Issues; Ray Jay Davis: Legal Aspects; Lewis O. Grant: Scientific Basis; Don A. Griffith: Modes and Instrumentation; and Conrad G. Keyes Jr.: How to Implement). The original task committee appreciated the extensive technical editing of each section of the manual by the personnel of OPHIR Corporation. The Consortium of Atmospheric Resources Development provided funds for the review of the first version of this manual, and the North American Interstate Weather Modification Council provided funds for travel to a meeting of the 1992–1993 Task Committee involved in the revision of the 1983 guidelines published by ASCE. The 1995 manual was authored by the following individuals (by section): (1) Robert D. Elliott, Conrad G. Keyes Jr., and Roger F. Reinking; (2) Roger F. Reinking, Neil H. Berg, Barbara C. Farhar, and Olin H. Foehner, Jr.; (3) Ray Jay Davis; (4) Lewis O. Grant, Harold D. Orville, Marcia Politovich, Roger F. Reinking, David Rogers, and Joseph Warburton; (5) Don A. Griffith, Marcia Politovich, James H. Renick, David W. Reynolds, and David Rogers; and (6) Conrad G. Keyes Jr., Joseph A. Warburton, and James H. Renick. Most of these individuals were involved with the Climate and Weather Change Committee of the Irrigation and Drainage Division of Management Group D of ASCE. The 2006 manual was authored by the following individuals (by section): (1) Thomas P. DeFelice and Conrad G. Keyes Jr.; (2) Conrad G Keyes, Jr.; (3) GeorgeW. Bomar; (4) Robert Czys, Thomas DeFelice, and Don A. Griffith; (5) Don A. Griffith; and (6) Bruce A. Boe and Conrad G. Keyes Jr. Most of these individuals have been long-standing members and/or officers of the Weather Modification Association. The final reviewers fromthe Blue Ribbon Review Panel for the EWRI Standards Development Council included Darin W. Langerud, Paul L. Smith, Mark E. Solak, and William L. Woodley. This current edition or revision of the manual was produced by those listed within each chapter and approved for publication by a majority of the Atmospheric Water Management (AWM) Standards Committee (SC). The editors from the EWRI Revision of Manual 81 Subcommittee are Chief Editor Conrad G. Keyes Jr. and Coeditors George W. Bomar, Thomas P. DeFelice, Don A. Griffith, and Darin W. Langerud. Other authors on chapters include Robert Czys and Bruce A. Boe (both were lead authors in 2006). The other subcommittee reviewers from the AWM SC and/or the Weather Modification Association include Joseph H. Golden, Maurice D. Roos, and Paul Smith. The final reviewers of all chapters from the Blue Ribbon Review Panel for the EWRI Standards Development Council (SDC) include Duncan Axisa of NCAR, Mark Schneider of NDARB, and Mark E. Solak of NAWC. Some members of theAWMSC had additional final input on the draft chapters before all work was provided to the Chair (Ben Willardson) of the EWRI SDC for approval for publication by ASCE. Conrad G. Keyes Jr., ScD, P.E., P.S., D.WRE, WMA CM, Dist.M.ASCE, F.NSPE Emeritus Professor and Department Head, New Mexico State University