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With reservoirs across
the state at all-time lows, Colorado ski areas are nervously
eyeing their snow-making reserves.
However, Southwest
Colorado ski areas that rely on snowmaking, Durango Mountain
Resort and Telluride, say they are looking good heading into
the snow-making season.
Matt Skinner, spokesman
for Durango Mountain Resort, said the ski area’s system
of three on-mountain reservoirs, which provide half of all the
water for making snow, are at capacity.
“They’re
full, totally full,” he said. “What people don’t
realize is that although surface water may be low, ground water
has been flowing strong all year.”
Skinner said if the resort’s snow-making reservoirs do
run dry, it has a deal worked out to borrow water from the county,
which would be taken from Little Cascade Creek. DMR would pay
back the county for water borrowed in the spring or summer at
a rate of two to one, and the water, which would return to the
creek in the from of run-off, would go toward filling Electra
Lake.
Skinner said he is
optimistic about the upcoming winter given the recent rains.
“We’re not sweating it yet,” he said. “If
weather patterns hold, we should be OK.”
Likewise, Telluride resort officials said that recent rains
there have boosted levels in Prospect Creek, which the resort
draws upon for snow making, as well as on-mountain reservoirs.
“Water levels
in the river are higher than they normally are this time of
year,” said Annie Kuhles, Telluride spokeswoman. “It’s
a very promising sign.”
Kuhles said the resort also took water-conservation steps this
summer, such as cutting back on watering the golf course, to
store up for the winter.
Nevertheless, like
Skinner, she said she is hopeful there won’t be a need
for much snow making this season.
“If Mother Nature
cooperates, which it looks like she might, we won’t even
need snow making,” she said.
– Missy Votel
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