West Dover, VT – Long hampered by inadequate sources of water for snowmaking, Mount Snow officials have proposed constructing an inflatable dam to collect stream water to make snow at the ski and snowboard resort in southern Vermont.nThe ski area’s director of environmental services, Jeff Nelson, presented the plan in an informal presentation at Wilmington Town Hall on Tuesday. It would involve placing an inflatable dam on Cold Brook that would be remotely activated or deactivated from a control room at Mount Snow in about five to 10 minutes. Similar structures are already in use at Okemo Mountain Resort in Ludlow and at nearby Stratton Mountain Resort.

At present, Mount Snow uses Snow Lake at the base of the resort as its primary water source for snowmaking, along with an on-mountain containment pond and a Cold Brook source shared with nearby Haystack. If approved, the plan also calls for the resort to discontinue using the shared source, as well as the North Branch above Snow Lake. It also calls for reconfiguring Carinthia Lake to allow for water flow year-round.

Decades ago, Mount Snow proposed resolving its snowmaking water woes by drawing water from Somerset Reservoir north of the ski area. That plan was ultimately rejected.

Mount Snow officials are optimistic that all necessary permits, including state Act 250 approval and a dam order from the state Agency of Natural Resources, can be obtained in time to begin construction this winter. If permits are obtained, Mount Snow will move forward to purchase two land plots essential to the plan.