Pajarito Mountain water pipeline nearly complete, set to pump by November

A water pipeline up Pajarito Mountain is nearing completion, with the project set to begin pumping water in the middle of November for snowmaking. Los Alamos County and the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area have partnered on the Jemez Mountain Fire Protection Project, which will also supply water for wildfire suppression in the summer.

The pipeline will carry water to a retention pond at the top of Pajarito Mountain. The project has been funded in part by more than $7 million in state grant funding.

“For many years, Pajarito has really run on hope and natural snow,” said Pajarito Mountain Ski Area Marketing Director Christiana Hudson. “We’ve had very little snow making because that retention pond at the top was at the mercy of runoff and our monsoon seasons.”

The ski area said last snow season was rough, and they had to close their slopes earlier than they would have liked.

“This revolutionizes the seasons to come for Pajarito because that pipeline that will supply water from that holding tank to our pond will be consistent,” Hudson said. “It provides 2,700% more water.”

The expanded snowmaking capability will allow the ski area to open earlier and potentially stay open later.

Los Alamos County officials said the ski area’s pond will serve as a place for helicopters to pick up water if there is a wildfire.

“It’s critical to have that infrastructure in place to protect community, and the laboratory too,” said Utilities Manager for Los Alamos County Philo Shelton.

Los Alamos County said the project should be able to start pumping water in the middle of November, allowing ski season to begin earlier than usual on Pajarito Mountain on December 4.