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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Kernan
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2-21-07
HB
SHORT TITLE Roosevelt and Lea County Weather Modification SB 1154
ANALYST Woods
APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)
Appropriation
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
NFI
$225.0
Non-Recurring General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)
Companion to HB1133
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Office of the State Engineer (OSE)
Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD)
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
Senate Bill 1154 seeks to appropriate $225,000 from the general fund to the Interstate Stream
Commission for expenditure in fiscal year 2008 for weather modification programs in Roosevelt
and Lea counties. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year
2008 shall revert to the general fund.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
OSE notes that evaluation of the benefits derived from weather modification programs is
difficult. Long-term data collection activities and subsequent analyses are required to evaluate
the effects and impacts of weather modification programs. Existing staff of the OSE/ISC does
not include weather modification (cloud seeding) expertise.
pg_0002
Senate Bill 1154 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
OSE suggests that because of a resurgence of weather modification research and cloud seeding
operations throughout the western United States, motivated by increasing water demands and
drought, the ISC expects a marked increase in programs under the New Mexico Weather Control
Act. Weather modification is identified in the state water plan and most regional water plans as a
potential source of new water supply. However, it is unknown whether any group(s) in
Roosevelt or Lea counties may have developed a project plan and scope of work for the proposed
weather modification programs.
NMED states that, according to the Lea County Regional Water Plan, “most of Lea County's
water is pumped from the Ogallala aquifer, which has been significantly depleted since 1960.
Lea County agricultural water uses are expected to double in the 40-year planning period. The
region faces serious water-quality problems associated with livestock and the oil and gas
industry." The plan outlines a number of approaches to bring Lea County's growing demand into
balance with its shrinking groundwater resource. One of these approaches is cloud seeding.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
This bill is companion to HB1133 with respect to purpose; however, this bill would appropriate
$225,000 and HB 1133 would appropriate $150,000.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
OSE indicates that, given the variability of the natural meteorological environment, great care
must be taken in the planning, execution, and assessment of cloud seeding projects. New
Mexico has previously funded a weather modification program in Roosevelt, Curry and
southwest Quay counties in conjunction with a summer cloud seeding program conducted in the
high plains region of western Texas.
WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL
OSE concludes that cloud seeding activities show promise in terms of development of alternate
water resources. If this bill is not enacted, there will be no state support.
BFW/mt