California IN BRIEF : BLAIRSDEN : State Seeks to Seed Clouds Atop Peaks
The state of California wants to begin a cloud-seeding experiment using new technology to help ease drought conditions, but environmentalists are questioning the plan.
State water experts believe the system that employs stationary propane shooters atop mountains could yield enough water to add 30,000 acre-feet to Feather River runoff. But environmental groups want to know what cost there would be to the quality of air and water. The $500,000 experiment would use 10 remote-control stations atop Sierra peaks near Lake Oroville to milk clouds.
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