Big Bear water board hopes rainmaker relieves drought

[Kadie]

Big Bear water board hopes rainmaker relieves drought

The Associated Press


Last Updated: August 26, 2004, 11:35:22 AM PDT


BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) - A rainmaker is being hired because of continuing drought conditions that have left the San Bernardino National Forest a parched tinderbox ripe for a disastrous wildfire.

The city Water and Power Board voted 5-0 Tuesday to enter a multi-agency agreement with Fresno-based Atmospheric Inc., which uses airplanes and ridge-top generators to seed clouds with rain-inducing silver iodide.

There were concerns, however, that cloud-seeding could lead to another disaster because of post-fire flood danger facing foothill residents from Highland to Upland.

"If it causes a flood down the hill and it kills some people, what kind of liability do we face?" asked board member Bill Speyers.

more...
http://www.modbee.com/state_wire/story/9049510p-9947093c.html

[Journeyman]

1. No mention in the article, though, of the effect. . .

seeding over the San Bernardino Mountains may have on those communities and water districts downwind of the storm, who will find their share of the storm water has been depleted by Big Bear Lake's action.

[LWolf]

2. I'm interested to know how, or whether, my area would be effected.

I'm in the desert, 95 miles to the west, and slightly north. We had 3.94 inches of rain July 1 '03 -'04. We've endured our fair share of the long-term drought and wildfires. Being desert, not much of the moisture to the east reaches us as it is. Any less, and we won't have any rain at all.