Collaboration will improve regional fire protection
Published on March 18, 2025
A long-awaited project to get a water pipeline up to Pajarito Mountain is finally taking shape. The Jemez Mountain Fire Protection Project (JMFPP) plans call for construction of a potable water pipeline up to the ski hill, as well as improved electric and fiber optic utilities along Camp May Road and at Pajarito Mountain. Work on the project is scheduled to start on April 1.
Managed by the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU), the project has four primary objectives:
- Provide a connection between Los Alamos County’s water supply system and the water storage tank at Pajarito Mountain. This connection is necessary for fire suppression capabilities at Pajarito and surrounding National Forest Service (NFS) and non-NFS lands.
- Provide the means for a reliable, supplemental snowmaking water supply for consistent snow coverage at Pajarito Mountain, especially during the early and late parts of the season and years of below-average snowfall. Winter snowpack can potentially reduce wildfire risk later in the year as it keeps vegetation damp and can delay the onset of dry conditions that fuel wildfires.
- Provide Pajarito Mountain and Camp May Park facilities with an improved domestic water supply.
- Provide both areas with improvements to electric utilities.
To accomplish those objectives, DPU has plans to construct a water tank, water pipeline, four booster pump stations, and fiber optic (for booster pump stations) and electrical conduit. Construction of the water tank and the water pipeline will begin April 1. These project stages will impact traffic on West Jemez Road as well as on Camp May Road.
On West Jemez Road, traffic signs will be placed to notify drivers before they reach the work zone on the west bound shoulder. If a lane shift becomes necessary, traffic controls will be put in place.
Digital traffic boards will be set to notify drivers of the status of Camp May Road, which will be closed to all traffic Monday through Thursday starting later in April as the water pipeline is installed alongside the road. Trails accessible from Camp May Road will also be closed. Monday through Thursday closures are planned through the end of the calendar year.
Camping at Camp May will be limited to Friday and Saturday nights on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations will not be available. Campers must extinguish campfires, pack up belongings and leave the area no later than Sunday evening. The entrance/exit to Camp May will be closed and locked after Sunday night.
While DPU is managing the project, the JMFPP is a collaboration among the State of New Mexico, Los Alamos County, Mountain Capital Partners (doing business as ski hill operator Pajarito Mountain), Santa Fe National Forest and the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
The project is being funded by a $7.9 million grant from the New Mexico Legislature. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, NM State Senator Leo Jaramillo and NM State Representative Christine Chandler offered crucial support in securing the grant funding. The remainder of project costs (up to $18 million) are being split by Los Alamos County and Pajarito Mountain.
Currently, a 250,000-gallon steel tank that is owned and operated by Los Alamos County is filled with groundwater via infrastructure at the base of the ski area. The County has an obligation to keep the storage tank at 75% capacity so that water is available for fire suppression. Through a contract with Pajarito Mountain, any water beyond that 75% can be pumped through the operator’s pipelines to its 10-million-gallon snowmaking reservoir above the ski area. Drinking water at the ski area is provided through a separate, well-dependent water tank owned by Pajarito Mountain.
Questions about this project may be directed to DPU Project Manager Ernesto Gallegos, 505-662-8147, er.gallegos@lacnm.us.
