Does Snowmaking Effect the Hydrologic Cycle?

1. Does Snowmaking Effect the Hydrologic Cycle? Kelly Doyle Spring 2003

2. http://www.ist-snow.com/

3. Why the Need for Snowmaking? Good early season snow gives skier confidence • Increases use during low snow seasons • Provides good base for powder • Provides sustainable rate of growth for expansions such as new facilities and to enhance skiing experience • Stability for the local tourism based economy

4. How is Snow Artificially Made? http://www.arecosnow.com www.snowmaking.com.au/ht_docs/index.html

5. How is Snow Made? • Water Vapor sublimates into tiny ice crystals in atmosphere • 3 Factors: • Temperature: if <0F, snow denser, ~15F, light and fluffy with large ice crystals • Duration of descent • Temperature on ground determines wetness of snow http://www.ist-snow.com/page2.html

6. How is Snow Made Artificially? • Cold water & compressed air within a subfreezing environment • 1. Atomization: Reduces particle size to increase surface area to volume ratio through nozzles • Heat transfer decreases temp of water to ambient air temp • Add compressed air at high velocity outside of air nozzles

7. How is Snow Made Artificially? • 2. Introduce seed particle made of bacterial protein to aid in crystallization • Protein used to catalyze the conversion of water to ice • Use of catalyst increases freezing temp from 15F-20F to 28F

8. Technology vs. Nature • Efficiency: • Quiet: 60db can’t be heard past 100m • Low energy consumption & many hours of operation at 15kW • Usually use water pressure between 80-100psi • No present technology can match nature: • Liquid Water Content: • 40-50% artificial • 1-10% natural

9. Snowmaking Monitoring System at Mt. Pluto, Lake Tahoe http://www.ist-snow.com/page2.html

10. Energy Costs • Temperature: • Energy cost doubles for making snow in 10F up to 25F Typical Material Cost Breakdown of a Snowmaking System http://www.ratnik.com/snowmaking.html

11. Energy Costs • Water Pressure: • Usually use 80-100 psi, cost • increases 40% to use 150 psi http://www.areco.com Snowmaking Technology Energy Use Consumption http://www.ratnik.com/snowmaking.html

12. Goals of Snowmaking • Long distance reach • Minimal chance of freezup • Uniform crystal size • Energy efficient • Mobile (small, light) • Ranges between blizzard intensity (4in/hr) to mild flurry (1/4in/hr) http://arecosnow.com/Photos

13. How is Snow Made? • Water withdrawn from river or lake • Pumped up to holding reservoir http://www.ist-snow.com/Page1

14. Whiskey’s For Drinkin’, Water’s For Fightin’ • Legal right to divert water • Senior rights • Vail has spent >$1,000,000 acquiring senior water rights • Legal rights for water left in rivers aren’t recognized in many states • Highest priority to people that hold oldest rights

15. How Has Snowmaking Effected the Colorado Ski Industry? http://www.ist-snow.com/Page4.html • Artificial snow in: • Colorado: 16% • East Coast: 90% • 109 gal of water used/skier visit • To cover an area 500m x 60m 20cm deep, need 600m3 of snow or 2500m3 of water

16. Major Ski Areas in Colorado

17. The Battle for Water:Colorado Wild vs. United States Forest Service • Arapahoe Basin: Colorado’s oldest, smallest, and highest ski area • Located near Loveland Pass on the North Fork of the Snake River, a tributary of the Colorado River • Court battle: make snow in response to several consecutive dry years and pressure to match early opening dates of competitors • Only major resort as of 1998 not to make snow

18. Biological Effects of Diverting Water Little Snake River at Steamboat Springs • Decreased Water Quality • Increased runoff • Fish kills • Decreased wildlife habitat • Affected recreational activities http://mangling.com/C54.htm

19. The Water Cycle • Effects of diverting water: www.epa.gov/seahome/groundwater/src/hydrocyc.htm

20. Water Quality Snake River at Keystone, CO • The North Fork dilutes high concentrations of toxic metals downstream in the Snake River from to acid mine drainage • Cu, Ni, Ur, Pb, Zn www.instaar.colorado.edu/SRWTF/ Near Baxter Springs, Kansas www.abyss.kgs.ku.edu/pls/abyss/pubcat.phd1

21. Runoff Boulder Brook, CO • Increased spring runoff • Rate • Volume • duration • 70-80% returned to system as runoff • Earlier peak discharge • Erosion • Need for larger storage reservoirs www.migallery.com/Photos/Lake15.jpg

22. Lowflow & Fish Kills • Water diverted in the winter, when streams are at their lowest flow • Ecosystem extremely sensitive at this time • Greenback & Cutthroat Trout www.tu.org

23. A-Basin’s Struggle to Make Snow • A-Basin served as scapegoat to environmental organizations fighting for instream flows

24. The Court Decision • Colorado Wild lost lawsuit on the basis: • Clean Water Act doesn’t regulate water quality impacts from diversions, only discharges • Colorado law: water quality standards only apply to discharges of pollutants • Arapahoe Basin began making snow November 21, 2002

25. The Court Decision: Movement Towards Instream Flow A-basin spokesman Alan Henceroth: “No water diverter in Colorado has ever been required to meet such strict standards”

26. The Court Decision • Arapahoe Basin agreed to: • Contribution of $20,000 for stream restoration of Snake River • Implement an aquatic biological monitoring plan • Bypass wintertime flows in greater quantities than required by the Colorado Water Conservation Board

27. How Much Does Snowmaking Effect the Water Cycle? Total Recreation Use: 3,398 AF (0.1%)

28. Outlook For 2003-2004 • Colorado Basin predictions call for 80%-89% of average volume runoff • Low winter stream flows have caused difficulty in administering reservoir releases for snowmaking • Increased protection of in-stream flows by monitoring snowmaking diversions • Four ski areas have proposed terrain expansions this winter www.arecosnow.com/Snowmaking.html

29. Work Cited • “Loveland Ski Areas’ Augmentation Plan,” Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers, Inc. http://www.lrcwe.com • “Colorado’s Historic Drought Won’t Affect Snowmaking at most ski areas this season,” The Denver Post. 9/27/02. Pg. C-01 • “Ski Resort, Forest Service Argue for Use of Snowmaking Water From Snake River,” U.S. Water News Online. Nov, 2000. http://www.uswaternews.com/archives/arcrights/tskires11.html • “Greens Call Snowmaking a Snow Job,” High Country News. 3/27/00. http://www.hcn.org/sevlets.hcn.Article?article_id=5659 • Colorado River Basin Water Use, Growth, & Demand Projections. Colorado Water Conservation Board, 2002. • Calibration of Snowmaking Equipment for Efficient Use on Virginia’s Smart Road. Shea, Edward J. 1999. • Colorado Water Supply Conditions Update. 2003. www.water.state.co.us • http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/dailydata.htm • Schroeder, William. “Snake River Water Quality Assessment.” EPA. • “Snowmaking Starts,” Arapahoe Basin Press Release. 11/21/02. http://www.arapahoebasin.com/cgi-bin/newsroom • “Water Diversions For Snowmaking…” Water Law Newsletter. 2001. http://www.rmmlf.org/pubs/newsletters • “A Dry Legacy,” Trout Unlimited, 2002. http://www.tu.org • “Western Water Campaign,” Trout Unlimited. 2001. http://www.tu.org/campaigns