PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Council has approved a new water agreement allowing Deer Valley Resort to purchase up to 300 additional acre-feet of water annually—nearly 98 million gallons—to support snowmaking operations at the resort's now-expanded 2,300-acre footprint.
The agreement, approved on June 12, builds upon longstanding water arrangements between the city and Deer Valley, originally established in 1979 and 1991. Under those previous agreements, the resort could utilize up to 650 acre-feet per year. This new Surplus Water Sales Agreement raises that cap by nearly 50%, enabling access to the additional supply between October 1 and April 1 each year through 2030.
Public Utilities Director Clint McAffee emphasized that the water will only be made available when the city has surplus supply and clarified that the agreement is structured to protect residential water users. Importantly, the water is restricted for use exclusively within the Weber River Drainage for snowmaking, preserving watershed integrity. The contract expressly prohibits use of the municipal water in Deer Valley’s east-side terrain expansion.
“This helps stabilize future water rates and strengthens our partnership with Deer Valley,” McAffee stated in a staff report.
Because snowmaking takes place during Park City’s off-peak water usage months, city officials believe the additional allocation will not strain the municipal system.
Financially, the agreement requires Deer Valley to pay a minimum of $340,000 annually for the surplus water. The first 150 acre-feet will be sold on a “take-or-pay” basis, meaning the resort must pay for that volume regardless of actual usage. The pricing structure mirrors that of the city’s Municipal Golf Course for untreated water, with added pumping costs, and includes annual rate increases in line with standard municipal water rate adjustments
