Tahoe-Truckee Cloud Seeding Project Water Year 2018 1 DRI Cloud - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Tahoe-Truckee Cloud Seeding Project Water Year 2018 1 DRI Cloud - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Apr 13, 2023 163 likes •343 views

Tahoe-Truckee Cloud Seeding Project Water Year 2018 1 DRI Cloud seeding generator: on (Sierra Crest Tahoe Winter 2017-2018 (WY2018) Snow Water Equivalent by Month 74% Average WY2018(74%) - Nov (11%), (9%) - Dec (25%),

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SLIDE 1

Tahoe-Truckee Cloud Seeding Project

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DRI Cloud seeding generator:

  • n (Sierra Crest

Water Year 2018

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SLIDE 2

Tahoe Winter 2017-2018 (WY2018)

Average WY2018(74%)

  • Nov (11%), (9%)
  • Dec (25%), (2%)
  • Jan (31%), (11%)
  • Feb (24%), (4%)
  • Mar (9%), (48%)*

* “Miracle March” Snow Water Equivalent by Month 74%

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SLIDE 3

Tahoe-Truckee Cloud Seeding WY2018 Project Summary

Smaller-scale project for WY 2018 using the unused cloud seeding solution remaining from WY2017.

  • (recall: WY2017 cloud seeding project was

suspended in early January 2017 due to deep snowpack and forecasts of heavy precipitation).

Primary Sponsor – Western Regional Water Commission ($100,000) Additional Sponsor – Mt Rose Ski Resort ($2,500)

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SLIDE 4

WY 2018 Tahoe-Truckee network

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CSG

5 sites hosting 7 generators

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SLIDE 5

Tahoe-Truckee Project WY2018

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October and November 2017

  • All cloud seeding generators were visited. The cloud seeding equipment was tested

and made fully operational, Barker Pass generators reinstalled per USFS permit.

  • All installed WRWC gauges were visited and serviced for the Water Year

measurements. December 2017 – Began informally watching the weather for seedable storms, Mt Rose joined the program. January – February 2018 – Official 24/7 forecasting and equipment maintenance

  • ccurred.
  • Daily Forecast Discussions
  • Weekly equipment testing
  • Field maintenance when required
  • 24/7 cloud seeding operations when required

March 2018 – Official program extended for one month at no additional cost to sponsor April – June 2018 – End of season generator maintenance and equipment removal from

  • field. Data analysis of weather data and seeding operations, equipment reliability, and

calculations of cloud seeding SWE increases.

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SLIDE 6

Tahoe-Truckee Project Summary WY2018

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  • 23 cloud seeding events
  • 524 total generator hours
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SLIDE 7

Tahoe-Truckee Project Summary WY2018 Cost/Benefit

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  • Calculated additional SWE

(9,628 acre-feet (AF))*

  • Cost/benefit $10.65 acre-

ft**

  • *3.3 billion gallons (if all added to river, enough for ~24,000 Truckee Meadows Households)
  • ** Seeding solution cost not included in WY2018 project costs
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SLIDE 8

Validation WY2018

  • Cloud Seeding
  • perational efficiency

(89%)

– Winds favorable to deliver cloud seeding plume into target area – Temperatures in cloud favorable for successful cloud seeding – Supercooled (T<0oC) liquid water in clouds

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SLIDE 9

WY 2018 Validation Snow

C T C C T T C

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SLIDE 10

WY 2018 Validation: Percent of Median

C 94% 63% 93% 73% 104% 65%

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SLIDE 11

WRWC Gauge Network

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SLIDE 12

Sierra Nevada

Ruby Mtns Toiyabe Tahoe/Truckee Carson Walker Mt Charleston Tuscarora Mtns. Humboldt Santa Rosa Mtns.

WY2019 Nevada State Program

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SLIDE 13

State Funded Portion - Tahoe-Truckee Project WY2018 – Full Program using 3 sites 5 generators

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  • Consumables 5 gen. (silver iodide, etc.)
  • Preseason site visits to fill generators and to

make equipment operational

  • Install Barker dual generators
  • Nov 1 – May 15 – 24/7 weather

forecasting/cloud seeding operations

  • Full time generator maintenance and servicing
  • Project data analysis, SWE increase estimates,

final report preparation

  • End of season site takedown
  • Pull Barker dual generators off site for summer

storage *Potential for about 11,000 acre-ft SWE on average winter

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SLIDE 14

WRWC Partner with the State Program for this winter?

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  • Adopt 2 Tahoe generators
  • Site preparation
  • All consumables
  • Parts (repairs)
  • Servicing trips
  • Data

collection/management

  • Communications
  • End of season take down.
  • $25K per generator ($50K

total)

  • Potential to increase SWE by

more than 7,000+ acre-ft at cost of $7 acre-ft to WRWC with State Program in place

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SLIDE 15

WY 2018 Tahoe-Truckee network

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CSG

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SLIDE 16

Budget to operate the Echo and Morattini Flats Generators This Winter

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If State Cloud Seeding Program Bill is introduced and Program renewed at current level funding during upcoming 2019 State Legislative Session, the State Program will cover all requirements for the entire 7 generator program next winter.

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SLIDE 17

Thank You !

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Any questions/comments?