The Santa Barbara County The Santa Barbara County Regional Cloudseeding Regional Cloudseeding

ProgramProgram

Food for Thought Food for Thought Lecture Lecture Series at Lake Cachuma Series at Lake Cachuma

Nature CenterNature CenterJune 7, 2015June 7, 2015

Dennis Gibbs, P.H., C.W.M.O.Dennis Gibbs, P.H., C.W.M.O.Senior Hydrologist, Santa Barbara County Water Senior Hydrologist, Santa Barbara County Water

AgencyAgency

SBC Cloudseeding ProgramSBC Cloudseeding Program• WhoWho:: Santa Barbara County Water Agency in Santa Barbara County Water Agency in

conjunction with most water purveyors in the conjunction with most water purveyors in the areaarea

• WhatWhat:: Cloudseeding to augment rainfall and Cloudseeding to augment rainfall and runoff to local water reservoirsrunoff to local water reservoirs

• WhyWhy:: Increasing the long-term water supply Increasing the long-term water supply yieldyield

• WhereWhere:: Behind major reservoirs Gibraltar Dam, Behind major reservoirs Gibraltar Dam, Lake Cachuma, and Twitchell ReservoirLake Cachuma, and Twitchell Reservoir

• WhenWhen:: Usually mid November through mid Usually mid November through mid April, dependent on hydrologic conditionsApril, dependent on hydrologic conditions

Cloudseeding Programs in the United Cloudseeding Programs in the United StatesStates

Historical Perspectives of CloudseedingHistorical Perspectives of Cloudseeding

• Dr. Bernard Vonnegut and Vincent Dr. Bernard Vonnegut and Vincent Schaefer in 1946 with Dry IceSchaefer in 1946 with Dry Ice

• Operation “Popeye” from 1967 to Operation “Popeye” from 1967 to 1972 on the Ho Chi Minh Trail1972 on the Ho Chi Minh Trail

• Woodstock?Woodstock?

• Santa Barbara County Area Research Santa Barbara County Area Research ProjectsProjects

• Operation Overlord Operation Overlord

On November 13 of that year, 1946, the team got up in an airplane and dropped dry ice On November 13 of that year, 1946, the team got up in an airplane and dropped dry ice pellets into a real supercooled cloud over western [Greylock Mtn.] Massachusetts. That pellets into a real supercooled cloud over western [Greylock Mtn.] Massachusetts. That carved a long hole in the cloud because of the hunger of the snow crystals for the carved a long hole in the cloud because of the hunger of the snow crystals for the supercooled water. And it only snowed out of that part of the cloud [fuzzy white in supercooled water. And it only snowed out of that part of the cloud [fuzzy white in center of hole]. center of hole].

History of Cloudseeding• Operation “Popeye” from 1967 to 1972 on Operation “Popeye” from 1967 to 1972 on

the Ho Chi Minh Trailthe Ho Chi Minh Trail

Theory of Cloudseeding

Condensation NucleiCondensation Nuclei

Silver Iodide -Silver Iodide -An Artificial Condensation NucleiAn Artificial Condensation Nuclei

• A mixture of Silver (Ag) and Iodide (I)A mixture of Silver (Ag) and Iodide (I)

• Inert – does not readily react with plants or Inert – does not readily react with plants or animalsanimals

• Accumulated silver concentrations 100x Accumulated silver concentrations 100x less than background concentrationsless than background concentrations

• Very hydroscopic at temperatures of -5º to Very hydroscopic at temperatures of -5º to -10º Celsius-10º Celsius

• Crystalline structure very similar to that of Crystalline structure very similar to that of a snow flakea snow flake

Rancho del Cielo Ground SiteRancho del Cielo Ground Site“Alert” weather station (Flood control)

Cloudseeding SCADA control system

Cloudseeding “generators” (Flare Racks)

Flare BurnFlare Burn

Aerial Seeding OperationsAerial Seeding Operations

Cessna 340 used in 2007

Cloudseeding Project Area and Ground SitesCloudseeding Project Area and Ground Sites

Wind Profile with HeightWind Profile with Height

Satellite Imagery

Radar ReflectivityRadar Reflectivity

Suspension Criteria

• NWS Flood Warning• Unforeseen conditions develop• Will not use Gibraltar Road site this year• Seed from SY Mountains Ridgeline only if wind is 225°

or less• High intensity storms (.8”/hr or higher) will not be

seeded• 15,000 cfs in Lompoc on SYR• Lake Cachuma predicted to spill or fill• Twitchell elevation to 609’ leaving 119,000 AF of

flood storage prior to March 1, 2010• NWS predicts 6” or greater in the Sisquoc watershed

over a 24 hour period

Probability of Rainfall on any given daySanta Barbara

0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

S O N D J F M A M J J A

Program is Usually Operated Mid-November through Mid-AprilProgram is Usually Operated Mid-November through Mid-April

Environmental ComplianceEnvironmental Compliance

Chemtrails, Contrails and Chemtrails, Contrails and ToxicityToxicity• General accumulations are less than .1µ/L versus General accumulations are less than .1µ/L versus

the EPA MCL of 50µ/L.the EPA MCL of 50µ/L.

• Contrails: Ice Crystals formed by exhaust from Contrails: Ice Crystals formed by exhaust from aircraft. Typically formed under a “stable” aircraft. Typically formed under a “stable” atmosphere at around 30,000 feet above ground, atmosphere at around 30,000 feet above ground, whereas our cloudseeding operations are whereas our cloudseeding operations are conducted at 8,000 to 13,000 feet above ground.conducted at 8,000 to 13,000 feet above ground.

• Chemtrails: Contrails that persist due to Chemtrails: Contrails that persist due to temperature and humidity where formed.temperature and humidity where formed.

• More: More: http://contrailscience.com/contrails-and-http://contrailscience.com/contrails-and-chemtrails-the-ifaq/chemtrails-the-ifaq/

End of Formal End of Formal PresentationPresentation

Questions?Questions?

Questions?Questions?