Yellowstone Mountain Club Eglise Reclaimed Water Snowmaking Project
Pioneering Reclaimed Water Use: A New Era of Snowmaking
The Yellowstone Mountain Club Reclaimed Water Snowmaking Project is a groundbreaking initiative in water reuse, watershed management, and sustainable snowmaking in Big Sky, Montana. For the first time in the state, highly treated wastewater is being used to create a base layer of snow on Eglise Mountain.
Using this innovative approach, the resort can store approximately 25 million gallons of water annually in the upper watershed, gradually releasing it as snow melts throughout the late spring and summer. By mimicking natural hydrologic processes, the project recharges the aquifer, sustains late-season cold water flows into the Gallatin River, and provides downstream benefits for agriculture, fisheries, and recreational water users.
Highlights and Services
-
Commissioning of the system
-
Construction observation and support
-
Design of supply and distribution systems
-
Equipment supplier/vendor coordination
-
Permitting Through MTDEQ
-
Survey
Integrated Infrastructure Design
The project integrates multiple wastewater treatment plants, effluent storage ponds, several pump stations, and a high-pressure snowmaking distribution system operating between 700 and 900 psi, well above typical municipal water pressures.
The Yellowstone Club’s highly treated wastewater undergoes additional purification through the snowmaking process. Water is pressurized to upwards of 700 psi and, through the nucleation process, converts liquid water into crystalline snow. This process further eliminates pathogens and ensures water quality exceeds stringent environmental standards. The Yellowstone Club monitors the water rigorously, from treatment through storage and distribution, and throughout the entire life cycle of runoff and groundwater percolation.
This system allows water to be stored and utilized year-round, reducing the need for large ponds, limiting environmental disturbance, and providing a sustainable solution to seasonal water challenges.
The project required a highly collaborative effort among the Yellowstone Club, Big Sky County Water & Sewer District, DEQ, Morrison-Maierle, and multiple conservation and community partners, including Trout Unlimited, the Gallatin River Task Force, American Rivers, and the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators. Morrison-Maierle played a central role in permitting, design, construction observation, survey services, and coordination with equipment suppliers to ensure the system met the highest technical, environmental, and regulatory standards.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation
Low snowpack and drought are ongoing challenges in the Western United States. Ski resorts in Montana, Colorado, Utah, and California can adopt these techniques to future-proof operations against climate variability while utilizing beneficial re-use.
The project’s success demonstrates the professional value of integrating multi-disciplinary engineering approaches with environmental stewardship. It highlights the importance of designing systems that balance technical performance, regulatory compliance, community benefit, and ecological health, advancing best practices in civil, environmental, and water resources engineering.
Beyond the technical achievements, the project offers broad social, economic, and environmental benefits. It safeguards ski operations during low snow winters, supports local employment and tourism, protects downstream agricultural water rights, and exemplifies holistic resource management for the Big Sky community.
By pioneering beneficial reuse of wastewater in snowmaking, the Yellowstone Club snowmaking project establishes a model that can be replicated at ski resorts and mountainous communities across Montana, the Western United States, and beyond. It demonstrates how engineering innovation, environmental stewardship, and collaborative problem-solving can work together to address pressing challenges posed by climate change, drought, and reduced snowpack, while ensuring the long-term resilience of both natural and human systems.
Learn more about our water management services.Related Projects
Lockwood Water Treatment Plant Upgrade
In response to its expanding population, Morrison-Maierle designed a major enhancement for the Lockwood Water and Sewer District's treatment facility.
Bozeman Water Reclamation Facility
The Bozeman Water Reclamation Facility has an advanced nutrient removal bioreactor and treats and reclaims wastewater to the levels needed to meet the area's effluent limits.
Four Corners Wastewater Treatment Plant
Four Corners Wastewater Treatment Plant
Butte-Silver Bow Wastewater Treatment Plant MBR Upgrades
Morrison-Maierle developed a cost-effective, efficient wastewater treatment plant in Butte using advanced technologies that minimized environmental impact on a nearby Superfund site.