Central Arizona Project Rejects Cloud-Seeding Funding
The board narrowly voted against the next phase of a multistate cloud-seeding partnership that has run since 2007.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Current Conditions
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The Central Arizona Project board voted narrowly against funding the next phase of a multistate cloud-seeding partnership it joined in 2007. The vote comes as Arizona and the project move to join a lawsuit challenging the federal plan for the Colorado River.
Why it matters
The project delivers Colorado River water to Phoenix and Tucson, so changes to its snowpack-enhancement efforts bear directly on supplies for Arizona's two largest metro areas. The decision also arrives as Arizona weighs legal action over how the river will be managed.
The proposed agreement caps each agency's 2027 contribution at $525,000, rising to $750,000 by 2036, compared with about $1.5 million a year now contributed by Arizona, California and Nevada. Studies show cloud seeding can increase mountain snowfall, but the size of the gain is difficult to measure.
The players
Central Arizona Project
A water agency operating a 336-mile canal system that delivers Colorado River water to Phoenix and Tucson.
The details
Cloud seeding encourages existing clouds to release moisture by introducing particles into the air. Board members raised concerns about cost and whether customers would receive any additional water from the program.
Timeline
2007: The Central Arizona Project joined the multistate cloud-seeding partnership.
2027: The proposed $525,000 annual contribution cap would take effect.
2036: The proposed annual contribution cap would rise to $750,000.
Big Picture
The cloud-seeding vote comes as Arizona and the Central Arizona Project move to join a lawsuit challenging the federal plan for the Colorado River. Lake Powell would need roughly five successive above-normal snowfall winters to reach half capacity, underscoring the pressure on Lower Basin supplies.
Households and businesses in Phoenix and Tucson rely on CAP canal water, so any change to snowpack-enhancement funding could eventually affect local supply planning. The proposed contribution caps would shape how much participating agencies pay for the program over the next decade.
The takeaway
Water planners in Arizona are weighing the cost of cloud seeding against uncertain gains, and residents should watch how snowpack and reservoir levels shape future supply decisions.
Further reading
Track the latest Current Conditions reports for Arizona's reservoirs and snowpack.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Cool Down.
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Should local water agencies keep paying for cloud seeding despite uncertain results?
