In the Clouds

This is the final installment of In the Clouds, a new educational campaign from the North Dakota Department of Water Resources.

How do we know if cloud seeding is effective?

North Dakota has the longest running aerial cloud seeding program in the world. Because of the longevity of the program, we have robust data sets for economists to analyze.

Cost-Benefit Ratio of Cloud Seeding in North Dakota

Cloud seeding has been shown to enhance rain, reduce crop hail loss, and increase crop yields. The 2019 NDSU study "Economic Impact of Cloud Seeding in North Dakota" provides detailed insights into the cost-benefit analysis of cloud seeding for western North Dakota counties that participate in the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project (NDCMP).

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Cost-benefit ratios annually for cloud seeding program in western North Dakota counties from 2008-2017. Bangsund & Hodur, (2019) NDSU Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Cloud Seeding and Crop Insurance

Crop Insurance Analysis Over A 13-Year Period Found 45% Lower Crop-hail Losses In NDCMP Counties VS. Upwind Control

By the numbers: 30 years of data from the NDCMP

Impact on Crop Yields

NDCMP counties grow 3.87 bushels more wheat per harvested acre.

Economic Benefits

Increases in crop production contribute to an economic benefit-to-cost ratio of more than 36 to 1.

Impact on Crop Insurance

Crop loss ratios were lower in the NDCMP counties vs. unseeded counties in 21 of the 30 years of the study.

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Knowles and Skidmore, 2021, American Meteorological Society

Different studies, similar results

The NDCMP, the world's longest-running program of its kind, boasts decades of data that provide unmatched insights into cloud seeding in western North Dakota. Despite using different methodologies, these two recent studies both show similar positive results.

Learn More About the ND Atmospheric Resource Board

Learn More About the ND Department of Water Resources

Thank you for reading In the Clouds. We hope you learned more about the science and economics of cloud seeding, as well as the NDCMP and ARB. Our next educational campaign will focus on watersheds in North Dakota.

CONTACT: Cam Wright

camwright@nd.gov

701.328.2782