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brs 4.19.22 <br />RESOLUTION NO. 2022-036 <br />A RESOLUTON OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE <br />CITY OF SANTA ANA SUPPORTING THE SANTA <br />ANA RIVER WATERSHED WEATHER <br />MODIFICATION PILOT PROGRAM <br />WHEREAS, the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) was formed in <br />1968 as a joint power authority under California law, composed of five member <br />agencies, covering four (4) counties, sixty-three (63) cities, and millions of residents; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, SAWPA is responsible for developing and maintaining regional <br />plans, programs, and projects that will protect the Santa Ana River basin water <br />resources to maximize beneficial uses within the watershed in an economically and <br />environmentally manner; and <br />WHEREAS, California experienced the second driest year in recorded state <br />history in 2021; and <br />WHEREAS, California has experienced its driest January and February in <br />recorded history in 2022; and <br />WHEREAS, the recent 2012-2016 drought was exacerbated by unusual warmth <br />and disproportionately low Sierra Nevada snowpack levels, serving as indicators of <br />projected dry spells in future decades where impacts will likely be worsened by <br />increased heat; and <br />WHEREAS, the Office of the Governor has issued a series of executive orders <br />that seek to address drought conditions that exist in California; and <br />WHEREAS, due to the recurring drought conditions facing the region, SAWPA <br />conducted a study in 2020 on the economic and technical feasibility of implementing a <br />weather modification program in the Watershed to increase water supply in the region; <br />and <br />WHEREAS, the results of the study indicated the potential increases in regional <br />precipitation and streamflow via "cloud seeding"; and <br />WHEREAS, cloud seeding is a type of weather modification used to increase the <br />amount of precipitation that has existed in the United States since the 1940s and has <br />been scientifically proven to increase precipitation in both dry and wet years; and <br />WHEREAS, based on decades of experience, cloud seeding has been shown to <br />be safe for people and the environment; and <br />Resolution No. 2022-036 <br />Page 1 of 3 <br />