RAINFALL ENHANCEMENT PILOT PROJECT

SB 471 creates a one-year rainfall enhancement pilot project administered by the Roosevelt Soil and Water Conservation District in New Mexico, testing cloud-seeding technology to increase natural precipitation and help mitigate drought. The project, funded with $1.2 million from the state general fund, requires collaboration with New Mexico State University to analyze data and report results to the legislature, while ensuring any additional water counts as natural supply under existing water rights. It explicitly states that state-funded rainfall enhancement activities cannot form the basis for liability claims. The bill mandates annual reporting on project outcomes and recommendations for future use, with all water derived from the project managed under current water rights laws.