The County of San Luis Obispo Flood Control and Water Conservation District (District) recently initiated Year 2, of a potential 3-year program of the Winter Cloud Seeding Program for Lopez Lake (Zone 3). The project objective is to increase precipitation in the Lopez Lake watershed during winter precipitation events. The seeding program will use a combination of ground-seeding sites and aircraft. For more information, please see Project Updates below.
Project Updates
Lopez Watershed Cloudseeding Program Initiated – Year 2
On December 17, 2019, the Board of Supervisors approved a contract with North American Weather Modification, Inc. to implement a potential 3-year cloudseeding program for the Lopez Reservoir Watershed. Year 1 ran from January 2020 to April 15, 2020. Year 2 began December 1, 2020 and will run through April 15, 2021. Year 3 has not been determined. The first season utilized aircraft and ground-based sites. Click here for the Year 1 Annual Report.
Environmental Document Approved
On August 13, 2019, A public hearing was held and The Board of Supervisors approved a Final Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Winter Cloud Seeding Program for the Lopez Lake and Salinas Reservoir Watersheds. At the same meeting implementation of a Winter Cloud Seeding Program for Lopez Reservoir in 19/20 was approved. A program for the Salinas Reservoir was not supported at this time.