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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.

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