FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff water commissioners are meeting Thursday evening to make a recommendation on a water source for snowmaking at a nearby ski resort.
The U.S. Forest Service has issued a permit to allow the Arizona Snowbowl to spray man-made snow on the San Francisco Peaks. At issue is whether treated wastewater or more expensive drinking-quality water will be sent through a pipeline to the resort.
The water commission can make one of three recommendations to the City Council — stick with the original agreement to provide treated wastewater, use only potable water or allow the Snowbowl and the federal government to use either water source.
The commission also could decline to make a recommendation.
Spraying artificial snow on the mountain that American Indian tribes consider sacred has been a contentious issue for years.
