SLO County is cloud seeding to raise Lopez Lake water level

December 24, 2022

Lopez lake

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

San Luis Obispo County will spend an estimated $1 million over the next three years on a cloud seeding project intended to raise the water level of Lopez Lake. [KSBY]

Cloud seeding is a type of weather modification in which particles, such as silver iodide, are released from airplanes in order to increase rainfall. The SLO County Board of Supervisors has approved a three-year extension of its cloud seeding program in order to increase the water level of Lopez Lake.

The South County reservoir is currently at 23% capacity. Rainfall would probably need to double in order to significantly raise the water level at Lopez Lake, said SLO County Public Works Supervising Engineer David Spiegel.

Brent Burchett, the executive director of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau, said he believes cloud seeding helped in 2020, generating about 400 acre feet of rainwater.


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Any potential health side effects of breathing and drinking Silver Iodide and whatever else is in the chemical spray they’re going to inject into the air and therefore drinking water for the 5 cities? Messing with Earth’s natural hydrological cycle doesn’t seem like a good idea, even if it squeezes out another inch or two a year.


There is already what people call “chemtrails” also know as Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (weather modification) covertly taking place almost every day over the County under the guise of “national security” at higher levels of the atmosphere and the public isn’t informed.


All this playing god could turn out to be a huge mistake. I would really like to hear about how this affects flora, fauna and drinking water.


LOL, another tin-foil-hat-wearing chemtrail believer! You should worry more about the potential health side effects of all that pot you’ve been smoking!


Why not spend the money on dredging out the lake, especially the Lopez arm, while the water is low and access to the silt and storm debris is easy? That way, when there is a few hundred more acre feet behind the dam, the lake will survive longer.


I agree, common equipment can be used dozers, excavators, loaders and end dumps. Much less cost than hydraulic dredging.


400 ac-ft * 3 years = 1200 ac-ft

1200 * 43560 * 7.48 = 390,994,560 gallons / $1,000,000

390 Gallons per $1.00

vs

Water Bill (Oceano) Tier1 = You get 108 Gallons +/- per $1.00


Wish the return was better but at least its something?


Good! Maybe I can launch my boat again! Fill that pit up to 520′ above MSL to spillway level.