Cloud Seeding – Milking More Moisture out of Clouds for Northern Nevada

It sounds like science fiction to those who are unfamiliar, but it’s a practice that’s been in place in Northern Nevada and the California mountains to the west for more than 25 years.

Cloud Seeding – a practice in which mountaintop generators spray particles of silver iodide into storm clouds to boot ice particle formation and snowfall – has been said to increase the snowpack that feeds the Truckee River (Reno/Sparks major water supply) by an average of about 18,000 acre-feet per year, according to an article in the Reno Gazette Journal.

According to the Desert Research Institute, over the last 15 years cloud seeding has created enough snow water to supply 140,000 households annually over the last 15 years.

Last year, a particularly dry year for the Sierra and Northern Nevada, along with much of the west, DRI estimated an increase of 21,600 acre-feet of water, according to the RGJ article.

For reference, an acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons – enough to supply two average homes for more than a year.

Funding was cut to the Desert Research Institute by the state legislature in 2009, but regional government entities, including the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and Western Water Commission are poised to pay for the process again this year.

“We feel it’s money well spent,” said Mark Foree, general manager of the Truckee Meadows Water Authority. “Certainly anything that can help our snowpack is something we are interested in.”

In considering the water quality impacts on spraying silver iodide into clouds to create snow and rain, the Weather Modification Association says “There is no evidence that suggests cloud seeding creates any significant negative environmental impacts on the environment. Assessments of soil, vegetation and surface runoff haven’t shown levels of silver iodine above natural background levels.

Desert Research Institute’s cloud seeding is expanding, starting with a 3-year program in southern Nevada to boost the snowpack in the Walker River watershed.

What do you think of cloud seeding? Let us know by commenting on this post on our Facebook page.

Snapshot Day isn’t a WETLAB photo shoot. It’s an annual Lake Tahoe Basin and Truckee River Watershed citizen-monitoring event. Launched back in 2000, Snapshot Day is designed to promote environmental education and stewardship while also collecting valuable water quality information. Snapshot Day takes place at locations throughout the Lake Tahoe and Truckee River Watersheds.

During Snapshot Day, we work with students and other volunteers to field-test streams, collect discrete water samples for nutrient analysis, and educate participants on protecting and improving the watershed in their own backyard. The data collected helps provide a “snapshot” of water quality and stream conditions all throughout the region.

It’s truly a great opportunity to learn about your local watershed and get more involved in a great locally-driven environmental event. Snapshot Day is run by volunteers, but spearheaded by the Tahoe-Truckee Clean Water team and sponsored by local environmental and water-focused agencies, including WETLAB. Our participation as a sponsor and team dates back to 2009 and we’re proud to support the program and its commitment to protecting the watershed in our community.

For most people, a drink of water is like eating or sleeping. It’s just something we do to stay alive.

The Western Environmental Testing Laboratory’s work is one of the reasons people rarely think about the water they drink. The Sparks-based lab handles wastewater and drinking water testing for private companies, research firms and municipalities to ensure its safety.

The company in December opened a Las Vegas branch at 3230 Polaris Ave., to better accommodate its 10 local clients. Utility Services owner Hollie Daines is a recent addition to WETLab’s client roster. Her company is distribution operator for 45 local small public water systems, ranging from homeowners associations to resorts. WETLab analyzes the water samples Utility Services collects from the systems each month.

Click here to read more!

 

Viva Las Vegas!  As for Vegas, the lease is completed and we’re currently setting up and going through the certification process for the test we will perform in Vegas. We will perform locally Total Coliform, Quant Tray, Fecal Coliform, pH and BOD5.

The address is 3230 Polaris Ave. Unit 4, Las Vegas, NV 89102.
For additional information please contact Nick Ross at (775) 355-0202.

At WETLAB we’re not just outdoor enthusiasts. It’s our way of life. Camping, hiking, fishing, and anything else that allows us to soak up the rays and enjoy fresh air.

In fact, we love it so much that we’re going to give away a fancy new iPad to a random winner who likes our page and submits a photo of them doing anything they enjoy outside in the Sierra’s. Simply like the page, submit your photo, name, and email, and you’re entered.

Take advantage of our areas picturesque backyard and you just might find yourself at the top of the mountain and the tech world, courtesy of WETLAB!

Michelle Sherven is the owner/operator of WETLAB – Western Environmental Testing Laboratory.

WETLAB is a company that has shown tremendous growth over the past year. Michelle took this company from a small start-up to a well established business with overflowing clientele and an increase in revenue and hiring. WETLAB’s revenue increased 29% over the past year, showing enough promise for Michelle to add 4 new full time employees and 7 part time employees. WETLAB started with a total of seven employees. As any entrepreneur knows, creating jobs in a “down” economy is a feat in itself, yet Michelle comfortably made the decision to add to her team because she not only could, but had to. In addition to adding team members, WETLAB was able to expand their working space and equipment list.

WETLAB purchased a new building to conduct business in, adding 11,000 sq ft to their offices and labs. WETLAB also added additional office spaces outside the Reno/Sparks area, purchasing a location in Elko. Along with the extra space, WETLAB’s finances were so stable that Michelle added several new pieces of cutting edge technology testing equipment to the labs, making WETLAB one of the most innovative businesses in their field today. WETLAB solidified that reputation for being on top of their industry by certifying four new test methods to properly provide the scientific data in their water quality tests that governments, mines, environmental restoration organizations and more use on a regular basis to make important development decisions.

Want to talk expansion? WETLAB’s services, sales, and marketing went from being a one state gig to covering a majority of the West Coast in 2010, expanding to California, Idaho, Utah, and Colorado. Michelle now has the team, locations, and resources to provide the most innovative water quality testing to whoever her clients may be and wherever those clients are located.

Michelle’s focus on community well being also contributes to her professional notoriety, both for her and WETLAB as a company. Michelle successfully implemented a paperless billing system for in house client reports, receivables and payables systems. Being in the field she is, environmental standards rate high on Michelle’s priority list, and she’s striving to switch as much of her business as possible to a paperless system. She also strives to keep her lab under a full, 100% recycling program, not letting anything go to waste, from tools and toss away equipment to her team’s lunch leftovers.

WETLAB also gives back to the community by volunteering at the Northern Nevada Food Bank, packaging food to go out to needy families. As a dedicated volunteer group, WETLAB was nominated as one of the top companies that volunteer at the food bank.

As a business and community leader, Michelle takes pride in the fact that she puts the well being of her employees, partners, surroundings, and company first. Her top notch standards ensure that her practices are going to stick around for decades to come. And her revenue figures are impressive for a female in a typically male dominated industry.

High standards go hand-in-hand with owning and operating an Environmental Testing Laboratory. Michelle’s ability to maintain her high standards are reflected in the growth and popularity of her lab. WETLAB is known for their precise analytics and high standard of customer service.  This offering a uniquely client-oriented lab environment.

Michelle is a type of person that knows immediately  what attribute is the most influential in regard to the success of WETLAB.  Based on her several years as a business owner and entrepreneur, Michelle has discovered that at the very top of the list is the distinguishing quality of integrity. Michelle believes that integrity is at the helm of her company. Michelle keeps integrity present throughout the deepest layers of her company and not just at its surface.  She wants integrity to be the heart and soul of the company’s culture in order to run a company that succeeds, and not company that falters.

As a wife and mother of two, Michelle’s continued commitment to her family and company has always amazed me.  She has very strong determination to be successful as she have proven this determination through her ability to maintain harmony through her personal and business life.  Without this ability I am not sure any entrepreneur would survive.

Michelle is not only committed to her friends, family and company but she has created a new standard for how companies should represent themselves throughout the community.

A great example that comes to mind is WETLAB’s ongoing volunteering efforts at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada (FBNN).  The WETLAB staff volunteers their entire evening once a month to the FBNN packaging food.

 

One of the national epicenters of water quality monitoring, just minutes away from the WETLAB offices in Sparks, Nevada, is gearing up for even more analysis. Lake Tahoe is known around the world as one of the world’s clearest large alpine lakes — and federal, state and local efforts are all concentrated on restoring and preserving the lake’s astounding clarity intact.

In late November, the regional water board that governs the Tahoe Basin approved an aggressive plan to reduce the amount of fine sediment, phosphorous, and nitrogen entering the lake, which are some of the main culprits behind the lake’s steady clarity decline. Over the next 15 years, up to $1.5 billion could be spent to increase the lake’s clarity from last year’s 68-foot depth, to 80 feet, according to news reports.

For agencies and restoration groups around the lake, the new water quality targets mean more water quality analysis to determine which restoration projects are working and how much sediment, phosphorous, and nitrogen is entering the lake. That analysis and lab work is WETLAB’s specialty. Given the increase in water quality monitoring occurring in Tahoe, WETLAB is reminding agencies and non-profits around Lake Tahoe of WETLAB’s convenient regular sample pick-up and material drop-off service to Lake Tahoe.

A WETLAB employee regularly travels to Lake Tahoe to collect water samples and bring them back to WETLAB’s state-of-the-art Sparks, Nevada laboratory for careful testing and analysis.

A WETLAB representative travels to South Lake Tahoe every Tuesday, and to North Lake Tahoe every Thursday for sample collection and instrument drop-off. WETLAB is also willing to work out other collection days for new and existing clients if possible.

WETLAB is proud to be part of the restoration of one of the nation’s natural wonders.

One of the qualities we pride ourselves on here at WETLAB are the relationships that we’ve built with our clients over the years and, at least in our opinion, you can’t build relationships if you don’t know anything about us so we’ve decided to start profiling our staff so our readers can get to know a little more about our past, present and future…

Name: Andy Smith
Position: QA/Technical Director

Andy is originally from Phoenix, AZ. He attended Adams State College in Alamosa, CO where he graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry in May 1996. During college he spent time in two different jobs. One was as a lab assistant for organic chemistry and general chemistry labs for about 3 years. The other position, for about a year, was in a BOR lab off-campus as a lab technician and sampler. After graduation, while still in Phoenix, he worked for Rosarita Mexican Foods as a QA technician checking food and can quality for 1 year. Next, he began working for Aqualab (later Acculabs) in the wetchemistry department. He later moved into metals. A few years later, he moved to Reno, NV to work for Acculabs with Michelle Sherven (formerly Kramer).

Since working for WETLAB (formerly Acculabs) he has done pretty much everything. He has been a wetchemistry analyst, a metals analyst, supervisor, laboratory manager, and now QA/Technical director. His training spans everything our lab currently offers, as well as in-depth training by the manufacturers for our IC, ICPMS and Lachet equipment. Also, he had a one day stint as a fish fossil digger in Kemmerer, WY!

Andy fills his time outside work being an avid fan of ice hockey (and even playing some when he gets the chance) and skateboarding. He has also recently started taking boxing classes at TMCC and his favorite author is Michael Crichton.

Feel free to contact Andy at andy@wetlaboratory.com

As part of a Comprehensive Water Quality Program, Huffman & Carpenter, Inc. (H&C) developed a surface water quality and groundwater quality development program of sampling for the Walker River Paiute Tribe (Tribe). The Tribe implemented a surface water quality monitoring program in 1997 to determine a baseline water quality for the Walker River as it flows through the Reservation. The Tribe is responsible for 323,406 acres in west central Nevada through which the Walker River flows to its terminus in Walker Lake. The long-term goals for the program are to assess water quality within the river and to establish water quality standards for surface water, groundwater, and other significant water bodies within the Reservation boundaries. The primary monitoring program which is currently being implemented is supported by a 106-Grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region IX. The ultimate objective of the Tribe is adoption of Tribal Water Quality Standards, establishment of water codes, and overall management of water resources within Walker River Paiute Reservation.

H&C has utilized Western Environmental Testing Laboratory since 2003 on the Walker River Paiute Tribe project. Specifically, WETLAB has provided the Walker River Paiute Tribe with high quality analytical results for surface water, soil and groundwater testing.

Huffman & Carpenter is located in Reno, NV. They are a group of professional wetland scientists, environmental scientists, biologists, engineers and economists that are dedicated to affect, promote and accomplish watershed restoration for human and wildlife habitats. Their services include, but are not limited to: Erosion Control, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, Water Quality and Water Treatment, GIS and GPS Mapping and Watershed and Hydrologic Modeling. For more information about the Walker River Paiute Tribe project or about Huffman & Carpenter visit their website here.

The Method Detection Limit (MDL) is defined as “the minimum concentration of a substance that can be measured and reported with a 99% confidence that the analyte concentration is greater than zero” (40CFR sec. 136 Appendix B). The MDL is used for various reasons in an analytical laboratory, with the primary reason being it is used to determine the reporting limits for each analyte that a laboratory analyzes for. Reporting Limits (RL’s) are generally 3-5 times the MDL. On occasion a laboratory can report lower than the calculated MDL, however these results are always flagged as estimates and cannot not always be considered legally defensible data. MDL studies are also required as part of the process of maintaining certifications.

A MDL is initially established when a method is set up, a new piece of equipment is brought online or if there is a significant change in equipment or location (i.e. moving to a new location, significant maintenance or replacement of major parts). MDL’s are confirmed on a regular basis according to method specifications (generally on an annual basis but for some parameters, such as anions, it is done twice a year). MDL studies are performed on a regular basis to assure that there is no loss of sensitivity on the equipment due to wear and tear or the constantly changing environmental conditions.

Do you have more questions about MDL’s or questions about other laboratory terminology? Is there something that always confused you about laboratory services? Leave a comment and let us know what you want to know about!