Most generators are remotely operated by radio or cellular telephone. A seeding aircraft is also used to augment ground seeding operations. The aircraft releases AgI from pyrotechnic flares or solution burners. Dry ice is also used in situations when clouds are shallow and cloud top temperatures are too warm for silver iodide to be effective. Four full time technicians who install and maintain all generator networks and fabricate new generators - four part time professionals who forecast seeding operations, implement design changes, evaluate operations, monitor environmental aspects of the program and evaluate seeding effectiveness.
Benefits vary with the seasonal frequency of suitable weather opportunities.
Estimates of augmented water from seeding have varied from 35,000 to 60,000 acre-feet over each of the last ten years. Pertinent research findings are immediately applied to operations. Research equipment is often shared with the State program at no cost. Current DRI research is aimed at quantitative evaluation of winter storm cloud seeding. Chemical evaluation of snowpack samples is also used to assess cloud seeding targeting and potential environmental impacts.