Written by
The Associated Press
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) -- Santa Barbara County has plans to begin cloud seeding over the next five years in an effort to replenish local watersheds.
Santa Barbara County Water Agency manager Matt Naftaly told the San Luis Obispo Tribune that they will use planes to disperse silver iodide vapor into the atmosphere during winter storms to promote the formation of raindrops.
Naftaly says cloud seeding can increase rainfall by as much as 20 percent. The goal is to increase rainfall in local watersheds, but portions of San Luis Obispo County could also be affected.
The cloud seeding program costs about $300,000 a year and is paid for by the Santa Barbara County Water Agency and the various water districts that would benefit from it.
The Associated Press