Aurora staff ask council to approve $25,000 contribution to regional cloud-seeding program

Aurora Water staff asked the Water Policy Committee on the April meeting to forward a $25,000 contribution to a regional cloud-seeding partnership to the full city council for approval.

"I'm before you today to seek, 25,000 approval or no objection for partnership funding for the cloud seeding project," said Abu Ahmed, water resource project manager, Aurora Water. Ahmed said the program aims to increase early-season snowfall and overall winter snowpack by seeding storms in high-elevation target areas.

Ahmed told the committee the Central Colorado mountain program covers high-elevation areas in Pitkin, Eagle, Summit and Grand counties and is operated by service providers who monitor weather and seed when conditions are right. He said the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) provides the largest share of funding — about 53% — and that the program's total annual budget is roughly $450,000, of which Aurora's $25,000 is part of the remaining 47% cost-share.

Ahmed described program operations and equipment: airplane seeding is the most expensive method, but the regional program uses ground generators. He said the program has about 23 manual generators and five remote (automatic) generators; three of the remote units are currently out of service. He said manual units require seasonal staffing and that remote generators are more expensive but more efficient because operators can start them remotely.

Committee members asked about generator reliability, plans to add remote generators and whether grants could fund equipment replacement. Ahmed said Aurora and partners have discussed grant ideas with the CWCB and that the partners intend to phase in more remote generators over the next few years.

Committee discussion also touched on efficacy and environmental concerns. Ahmed said studies since the 1960s have not demonstrated harmful effects from silver iodide at the levels used in cloud seeding; he said the program had an estimated yield last season of about 80,000–90,000 acre-feet of water and that, he said, equated to roughly "160 households on average per year." He framed the program as one of several tools — alongside conservation and other projects — to augment water supplies under a changing climate.

A staff member noted the contract is an intergovernmental agreement that requires council approval. With no objections, the committee moved the item to the full city council agenda for formal action.

Members agreed to forward the request; no roll-call vote was recorded in the study-session record.