A little more information for the non-Snowbowl locals to ponder. Regarding the use of "reclaimed water" for snowmaking at Snowbowl: the water purification standard used in water reclaimed for snowmaking is the same standard as that used for potable (drinking) water. Snowbowl's owners were unwilling to apply for potable water certification, however, since they stated that the cost of such certification was not needed since none of the reclaimed water was to be used for human consumption.
Government agencies signed off on both the water purification standard and the decision not to obtain a "potable-water" certification.
The "Indigenous Religion/Sacred Mountain" argument, IMHO, never really withstood close examination.
First, the ski area is located on National Forest land, and thus is subject to the "multiple use mandate", which specifically lists recreation as an approved use.
Second, the ski area operators worked hard to reach out to, and provide special access for, tribal elders & religious practitioners, despite the fact that Snowbowl occupies a small fraction of the San Francisco Peaks (roughly 4%).
Third, opposition to Snowbowl has been limited to a tiny minority of militant indigenous activists and extreme environmentalists (see "Earth First" for more details). These activists have been determined for decades to shut down Snowbowl "by any means necessary": tactics have included protests, multiple lawsuits covering every possible avenue (regardless of merit, with the openly stated intent of indefinitely delaying any improvements and burdening ski area ownership with endless legal fees), and even sabotage of chairlifts to endanger skiers.
(NOTE: AZ Snowbowl and the US Forest Service have ultimately prevailed over every legal challenge mounted against them)
Finally, the Navajo Nation profited for many years from a coal mine operated on their reservation. This coal was used to fuel one of the "dirtiest" power plants in the US, whose emissions polluted the air of much of the desert southwest, including both the San Francisco Peaks (their "Sacred Mountain") and the Grand Canyon. It seems disingenuous at the very least, for tribal activists to argue against a ski area "desecrating" a mountain while polluting it themselves.
And yeah, I'm a bit opinionated on this topic...
