WEST DOVER, Vermont — Mount Snow announced plans for a new project to build a snowmaking water storage pond in the Deerfield Valley.

Called the “West Lake Project,” the plan calls for a 12-acre pond to be built on land in the town of Wilmington. The pond will draw water from the Deerfield River and have a capacity of 120 million gallons.

“The West Lake project gives us a solution that should meet our goals of increasing the snowmaking water supply in time for the 2008-09 skiing and snowboarding season,” says Tim Boyd, president of Peak Resorts, which purchased Mount Snow last April from the American skiing Company, along with Attitash in New Hampshire.

Mount Snow General Manager Kelly Pawlak made the initial announcement on Sunday during a special season passholder meeting with Boyd and other members of Mount Snow senior management.

“We’ve already had meetings with the state and they are supportive of the project in principle,” says Pawlak.

The announcement of the West Lake project means Mount Snow will cease to pursue their previous plan to draw water from the Somerset Reservoir. Mount Snow had garnered support for that project from Vermont’s Agency of National Resources and surrounding towns, according to Boyd, but decided to go in another direction when it became evident there would be opposition from several groups.

“The Somerset Project could have turned into a long-term legal battle,” says Boyd. “Mount Snow put a lot of time and effort into that plan even prior to our [Peak Resorts] involvement, but we feel this is the best choice currently for our resort and the Mount Snow Valley.”

Information about Mount Snow lodging and lift ticket packages for winter 2007-08 is available by calling 800-245-SNOW or visiting www.mountsnow.com.

Peak Resorts operates 11 ski areas and two golf courses in six states.