Potential Economic Values Oo Weather Modification on Great Plains Grasslands

Abstract

Experimental weather modification projects on the Great Plains indicate that selective cloud seeding during the summer months may produce from one-half to one inch of moisture. To determine the potential economic benefits from this amount of moisture long term forage production and meteorological data from three range sites in Kansas were statistically analyzed. Forage production was highly correlated with growing season moisture. On each of the three sites benefit-cost ratios were favorable, ranging from 21.7 to 1 on site one, 6.4 to 1 on site two and 25.2 to 1 on site three, based on a seeding cost of $0.10 per acre and a one-half inch increase in rainfall.