WATER IN BIG SKY - THE IMPORTANCE OF A MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE
WATER IS LIFE, the saying goes, and that certainly rings true in Big Sky. Whether in the form of snowfall, the aquifer, Gallatin River tributaries like Porcupine Creek and Taylor Fork Creek, or the local tap water, which has been described as the tastiest in the U.S., water serves every facet of life in Big Sky.
Water is also a precious commodity in Big Sky, as it is throughout the West. The primary source of water in Big Sky is the aquifer that underlies the community, tapped by a number of wells. That supply is charged and replenished by various Gallatin River tributaries that flow through Big Sky, but overwhelmingly, the aquifer is recharged from snowmelt.
Big Sky’s seeming abundance of winter snow can be misleading, though. And it should never be taken for granted, especially in a time of climate change. “Drought conditions are the new norm in Montana,” says Rich Chandler, Vice President of Environmental Operations for Lone Mountain Land Company. “We need to start thinking more wisely about managing our water resources.”
In other words, every Big Sky resident, visitor, and business shares responsibility for the conservation and purity of water in Big Sky. That’s a responsibility that Lone Mountain Land Company—the primary developer of Big Sky’s clubs, community housing, trails, and Town Center—takes seriously. Most significantly, working with the Department of Environmental Quality, Yellowstone Club applied for and implemented—after a long permitting process—a program to use reclaimed water for snowmaking, starting with Yellowstone Club.
Yellowstone Club launched its reclaimed snowmaking program—the first ever in Montana—in the winter of ’23/’24 by recycling 21 million gallons of reclaimed highly treated water from the Big Sky community and then utilizing it for snowmaking. That means 21 million gallons of water that otherwise would have to be drawn from the aquifer now goes to Yellowstone Club’s ski runs—where it can melt in spring and replenish the aquifer.
"It’s just so incredibly worthwhile to watch this project finally come to fruition,” says Chandler. “We went from theory to permitting to construction to turning the snow guns on. It is a celebration not just for us, but for the community.” If the notion of skiing on reclaimed water and recharging the aquifer with that water makes you wonder about purity, Ron Edwards, general manager of Big Sky County Water & Sewer District, allays that concern. “Skiing on reclaimed water for snow is a safe practice,” he says. “It’s true that coliform bacteria is one of the things that can be present in reclaimed water, but our studies showed that by running water through snow guns you get 100 percent coliform kill in the freeze- crystallization process.”
But before the water ever makes it to the snowmaking guns the team ensures the purity, says Luke Stratford, VP of Mountain Operations for Yellowstone Club: “We test this water weekly to make sure there’s no bacteria or pathogens or viruses while we’re making snow. We make sure all parameters are met for water quality standards.”
Stratford adds that the practice has an extra benefit: Compacted snowpack, the likes of which you get from snowmaking, grooming, and skier traffic, melts more slowly than natural snowpack. “During the late season in May and June, that snow will still remain on the mountain,” says Stratford. “You’ll still see those strips of white snow on the mountain. That’s important, because that snow is melting very slowly back into the ground.” Snowmaking is not the sole use of reclaimed water in Big Sky. Spanish Peaks, Moonlight Basin, Yellowstone Club, Tom’s 10, and Big Sky Resort all utilize reclaimed water to irrigate their golf courses—in fact all five golf courses in Big Sky do so. Again, that is water—more than 100 million gallons worth—that does not need to be taken from ground- or natural surface- water sources.
Because the reuse projects have been so successful, Big Sky is stepping up its treatment efforts. Yellowstone Club recently more than doubled its treatment capacity with an $8 million upgrade. And Big Sky Water & Sewer has brought online a new $50 million water reclamation facility that can treat up to 1.4 million gallons daily.
That state-of-the-art plant, technically an expansion of the previous plant, is key to both current and future water concerns in Big Sky. Its immense capacity means that 100 percent of treated Big Sky wastewater can be recycled for irrigation and snowmaking. It also means that wastewater that was formerly treated in septic tanks and discharged into the groundwater is now treated to the highest standard recognized by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The facility promises the ability to meet all of the future commercial and residential development needs as previously permitted by Gallatin County.
As has been the case for nearly three decades in Big Sky, none of the reclaimed water from the new plant is being discharged into local streams that flow into the Gallatin River. The plant is, in fact, the largest zero-discharge facility in the state. And Big Sky itself is the largest zero-discharge community in the state (see “Zero Direct Discharge” sidebar). Here, the reclaimed water is actually treated to within one step shy of drinking water standards, known as Class A-1, though there are no plans to use it as such. Instead, it is stored in ponds and utilized for snowmaking and irrigation.
All of this positive and collaborative work in conserving water has drawn praise and attention, says Kristin Gardner, chief executive of the Gallatin River Task Force, which is the leading advocate for preserving a healthy Gallatin River watershed. Gardner's GRTF, as well as several other groups, including Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Trout Unlimited, American Rivers, and the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators, all wrote letters of support for the effort. “Big Sky serves as a model for other communities,” says Gardner, adding that the Gallatin River Task Force has received requests from other communities to learn from Big Sky’s proactive efforts.
Of course, to paraphrase David Brower, the first executive director of the Sierra Club, conservation work is never done. And Big Sky continues to implement measures to conserve water and maintain its vital aquifer. In 2021, the Yellowstone Club revealed a new metering system combined with an education and awareness campaign that saved more than two million gallons of water within six months. Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks Mountain Club, and Moonlight Basin have thinned overcrowded forests and created fuel breaks to benefit wildlife and species diversity and reduce wildfire risk. Severe wildfires can significantly degrade local water quality. The fuel breaks also create more open ground for snowpack—with the added benefit of excellent snowpack compaction, allowing for a more gradual snowmelt. (Snow exposed to sunlight goes through more melt-freeze cycles, which in turn harden the snowpack.)
“It comes down to us managing our water resources as wisely as we can,” says Chandler. “Forest health is part of the equation. So is conservation and education. The standards of our treatment facilities allow us to safely use water for secondary purposes like snowmaking, ensuring that the water that we need for human consumption is preserved and maintained.” As for the quality of that water, adds Chandler: “Most countries in the world would look at Big Sky’s reclaimed water as being the cleanest water they’d ever have available for consumption.”
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