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State expands cloud-seeding program: more remote generators, drone tests and a multi‑million-dollar research budget
Summary
Division staff reported expanded cloud-seeding operations and research: nearly 17,000 generator hours last season, first experimental unmanned aerial seeding in the U.S., plans for ~190 remote generators, a $15.7 million proposed budget and a multi‑year study of silver iodide impacts by academic partners.
Division staff updated the board on the state’s cloud-seeding program, reporting a substantial operational expansion and a new research effort to improve evaluation and environmental monitoring.
Jake (hydrology and modeling engineer) told the board that last season the program logged almost 17,000 generator hours — about double the typical amount — and that Utah conducted the nation’s first experimental seeding with unmanned aerial vehicles in Cache Valley. He said the state is replacing manually operated ground generators with remotely operated units that meteorologists can switch on and off in real time, increasing operational flexibility and reporting consistency.
The Division proposed a $15.7 million budget for the coming year, with the majority of funds going to remotely operated infrastructure. The legislature allocated a $3.5 million special appropriation for a Bear River interstate program and the Division proposed $2.25 million for a dedicated research program. Staff said remotely operated units will improve placement at higher elevations and reduce material waste, while automated reporting will make run-time and burn-rate records uniform and available to sponsors.
The presentation outlined an expanded drone program (including a planned Bear River deployment of 32 drones), the continuation of ground-based remote generators, and work with academic partners — including the National Center for Atmospheric Research, University of Utah and Utah State — on multi-year studies. Those studies will include sensors and sampling to monitor aerosols and to evaluate silver iodide accumulation; staff emphasized third-party evaluation and peer-reviewed outputs.
Board members asked technical questions about drone stability and icing; staff and contractors explained the drones’ size, stationary seeding profile and onboard de-icing measures. The Division characterized the research program as central to understanding how additional snowpack translates to streamflow and to inform future budgeting and policy choices.
