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Mini case study Class 703_e Marcial Sommer
December 2013 HES SO Valais 1
Case Study: What effect does artificial snowmaking have on the environment?
Introduction
Winter tourism has become a very important economic sector in the alpine region. In the 70s, the snowfalls in the Alps became variable and the need of guaranteed snow increased (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006). Artificial snowmaking was invented in the US in the 50s and introduced and implemented in Europe in the beginning of the 70s (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006). Artificial snow is usually made with the use of snow guns. The procedure is rather simple. Water is being pumped to the snow gun and is being spayed into the air with the help of fans and compressed air (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006). If the air is cold enough (ideal temperatures are between -‐7 to -‐4 degrees Celsius (Schuchlenz, 2012). The ideal humidity should be less than 40% for ideal conditions, in which 3m3 can be obtained with 1m3 of water (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006). More and more ski stations throughout the alpine region are dependant on artificial snowmaking. The effect on the environment is told to be quite severe, but is not yet thoroughly researched. This mini case study is based on 3 articles, of which one focuses on Italy, one on Austria and the last one on Switzerland.
Mini case study Class 703_e Marcial Sommer
December 2013 HES SO Valais 2
Inputs of additives
It is possible to make artificial snow production at warmer temperatures. When ice nucleation active (NIA) is added to the water, snow production is possible to temperatures up to 3 degrees Celsius (Rixen, Stoeckli, & Ammann, 2003). About half the Northern American ski resorts are using NIA already to produce snow at lower temperatures (Rixen, Stoeckli, & Ammann, 2003). The input of additives can influence the ecosystem in different ways. The most important concern of using bacterial products is the effects on the plants (Rixen, Stoeckli, & Ammann, 2003). Another important factor is the impact of drinking water. The water used from snow guns are ending up in the ground water and the water consequentially returns in worse quality as drinking water (Schuchlenz, 2012).
The use of bacterial additives is not allowed everywhere in the alpine region. The most common additive is called “Snowmax” and is forbidden in Germany and Italy (Rixen, Stoeckli, & Ammann, 2003). Switzerland and Austria however, have less direct legislation on that issue, the law depends from region to region.
Water resources
The business of artificial snowmaking is extremely water consuming. The water used fir the production is mostly stored in a reservoir. In order to fill the reservoir, water is often taken from mountain currents (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006). Situations like this often lead to a shortage of drinking water in the communities. The Italian region “Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano” has limited the amount of water that can be taken from the currents. The same region also forbids to add additives to water which is destined for snow making (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006).
The Austrian Alpine Association estimates that for a surface of artificial snow of 10 hectares a 2.5 million litres of water is needed (Schuchlenz, 2012). This compares the water consumption of a city of 10’000 (Schuchlenz, 2012).
Flora & Fauna
The vegetation under ski slopes suffers generally because of the fact of human ski activity. Artificial snow does create a thicker layer of snow, which protects the plants from mechanical activity of slope maintenance such as snow-‐grooming vehicles. (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006).
However, because of the extra snow, the slopes take longer to melt in the spring. This has a direct impact on plants, because the snowmelt can be postponed up to 4 weeks (Rixen, Stoeckli, & Ammann, 2003). The biomass of the plants can be dramatically reduced especially for certain species (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006).
The entire soil structure is often completely damaged from the constant activity of skiing (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006). The fauna is often very disturbed by the use of snow cannons. Because the temperatures are lower, snow is mostly created at night. This causes an intense acoustic level, which can affect the animal world in the region badly (Gianumberto , Crescini, Tarroco, & Palmeri, 2006).
Conclusion
Switzerland is in quite a luxurious position when it comes to natural snow coverage. The average height of the ski stations is higher than our surrounding neighbour. But also Switzerland needs to fight more and more with warmer climate and less natural snow. The use of artificial
Mini case study Class 703_e Marcial Sommer
December 2013 HES SO Valais 3
snowmaking has become a standard in many stations. It looks like the trend towards a warmer climate is going to continue and the topic of artificial snow is therefore of great importance. Especially because many aspects of the topic in terms of environmental damage, are not by any means researched thoroughly enough. There is also a lack of policy in Switzerland. While the input of additives is not allowed in some alpine countries, the Swiss legislation system does not take initiative but rather empowers the cantons with the topic. But there are not only “invisible” consequences of artificial snowmaking. The process involves a great deal of machines and infrastructure. Prominent water reservoirs, pumps, the snow cannons itself, kilometres of cables and water pipes, compressors and much more is needed for this process (Schuchlenz, 2012). Many destinations these days have found, that flattening the slopes during the summer months enhances the quality of the artificial snow. And flattening is nothing else than destroying the soil with bulldozers (Schuchlenz, 2012).
Huge energy and water consumptions is another factor which causes additional stress to the environment. Polluted ground and drinking water, where no one really knows what the effects of bacterial additives on humans are is just one factor. The quantity of water that is lost somewhere and put into artificial snowmaking somewhere else is another.
The consequences are probably much bigger than generally assumed. It is important to invest in further studies in order to understand the environmental damages better. This is a topic, which can create severe problems to the environment and it is crucial to have a better understanding of it. If it shows that artificial snowmaking badly affects the environment and it is an unsustainable practice, the Swiss government has to act and adapt the legislation in order to protect the ecosystems of our mountains.
Bibliography Gianumberto , C., Crescini, E., Tarroco, S., & Palmeri, F. (2006). Environmental modifications induced by the practice of “Artificial snow-‐making” in the Obereggen/Val D’Ega Area (Italy) . Journal Of Mediterranean Ecology (7), S. 31-‐38. Rixen, C., Stoeckli, V., & Ammann, W. (June 2003). Does artificial snow production affect soil and vegetation of ski pistes? A review. (7. D. Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Hrsg.) Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics , S. 219-‐230. Schuchlenz, J. (2012). Consequences of artificial snow-‐making Impacts on the landscape and the environment . Erasmus -‐ Intensive Programme , S. 146-‐155.