From Deseret News archives:
Utah water year above average
And cloud-seeding efforts to get under way on Nov. 15
The 2006 water year ended midnight Saturday, when October began. By Monday, federal experts were able to calculate that the year's precipitation across Utah had totaled 103 percent of the 30-year average. While slightly better than typical, that wasn't as good as the previous year's precipitation.
"2005 was a little better," said Ray Wilson, hydrologist with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Salt Lake City. That year, he said, "we ended up with 125 percent."
The '05 water year marked the end of a six-year drought, and this immediately past water year confirmed that dry weather was over for most of the state. That was true "especially in the north," Wilson added.
"Down south ... most of the basins were a bit below average." But they did not drop to the parched conditions of recent years.
2006 water year precipitation ranged from 115 percent of normal on the Weber River drainage, to a low of 84 percent in southeastern Utah, he said.
Projects in central and southern Utah will begin Nov. 15 and others in the state around Dec. 1, said Don A. Griffith, the company's president. Such projects have been going on in parts of Utah since 1974, he added.
A legal advertisement listed potential customers for the project, which is licensed by the Utah Division of Water Resources. They include several counties, water conservancy districts and ski resorts.
Griffith said the state may pay around 50 percent this year. He preferred not to discuss dollar amounts, however.
Storm systems often don't produce much precipitation, he added. Winter clouds may lack enough freezing nucleoli, which are usually composed of dust particles.
When clouds blow across mountaintops, ice accumulates around the particles. As these become heavier they fall out as snow.
Some sort of impurity, such as a bit of dust in the air, is needed to serve as a nucleus where the ice can accumulate. Or snow may fall from higher in a cloud, providing the nucleus. Cloud seeding, also called weather modification, releases a fog of extremely fine silver iodide crystals, around which ice can collect.
Recent comments
Thats good we got extra rain this year. I hope we get more next year....
cameron | Feb. 5, 2008 at 3:13 p.m.
- Two American pilots die in Iraq 12:47 a.m.
- Murder suspect is vetran, avid skier 12:47 a.m.
- MLB: Zambrano's mom kidnapped 12:32 a.m.
- Lambert surprisingly tops news 12:25 a.m.
- Philadelphia transit strike ends 12:25 a.m.
- TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd 12:24 a.m.
- 12 high schools ready for 'The Turf' 12:17 a.m.
- RSL unfazed by conference final 12:17 a.m.
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated 12:17 a.m.
- Today on TV 12:13 a.m.
- Gay advocates trek to LDS office
216 - House passes health care bill
201 - Lobo suspended
173 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
151 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
129 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - Thousands protest health bill
102 - Provo company innovating engines
101 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89 - BYU cuts Women's Research Institute
88
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
NASA's Stardust probe continues to bring new knowledge about the nature...
STOP blaming the Democrats, BLAME THE REPUBLICANS FOR 8 YEARS DOING NOTHING...
The best way to break the law is to become someone who enforces the law.
It's a real shame so many folks have never gotten out and gotten to know the...
It's all talk... you do not have any evidence for your claims. You assume...
Maybe if you could bat .408 in the major leagues, you too would be paid a...
I prefer the “Wizard of Earthsea” quartet by Ursula Le Guin, an...
The bottom line question that no one can possibly answer is; what will be the...
It looks to me like special treatment.
Jazz will have a tough week, with what should be a easy win against the...
I am very excited for this game. As much as I want the Utes to win, it won't...


