Weather modification efforts in Texas are regulated by the Texas Department of License and Regulation (TDLR). Individuals and organization who intend to conduct weather modification activities are required to obtain a weather modification license and permit from the TDLR.

What is Weather Modification?

Weather modification in Texas is meant to produce more rainfall during the growing season. The TDLR describes weather modification as "focused efforts to produce additional rainfall using cloud seeding are widespread in much of West and South Texas during the growing season, which extends from early spring until autumn each year."

Roughly one-sixth of the land area of Texas is covered by concentrated cloud seeding covers.

Cloud seeding for the purpose of increasing rainfall is done using aircraft and sophisticated weather radar data. According to the TDLR, "[d]ecisions to deploy aircraft and disperse seeding materials (both silver iodide and salts) are made by trained meteorologists licensed by TDLR specifically for weather modification."

The stated purpose of regulating weather modification in Texas is to ensure that the various methods of modifying the weather do not dissipate naturally occurring clouds or inhibit the natural production of rainfall to the detriment of people or property in the affected areas.