Local News in Brief : Cloud Seeding in Sierra
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power announced plans Wednesday to seed clouds over the Eastern Sierra next month in hopes that it will lead to long-term snow packing that will increase the city’s water supply.
The DWP plans to begin seeding the clouds March 11 and continue the operation for a month, said Le Val Lund, DWP engineer for the Los Angeles Aqueduct.
The effort, which must be approved by the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power, is expected to increase the remainder of this year’s precipitation by about 5% over the mountains, Lund said.
“Although conditions are not as critically dry as last winter, the existing snowpack is only 70% of normal for this time of year,” he said.
The program is aimed at increasing the snowpack for water supply runoff and improving winter recreational opportunities in Inyo and Mono counties.
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