Published November 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Dear Pyhä friend,
We want to openly share an important matter with you regarding water abstraction from Lake Pyhäjärvi at Pyhä.
We have used more water from Lake Pyhäjärvi for snowmaking on our slopes and cross-country skiing tracks than permitted by our water abstraction license granted in 1997. We are truly sorry for this.
Our internal monitoring concerning the water abstraction has been inadequate, and a new license should have been applied for years ago to match actual water usage. Naturally, we take responsibility for this and are correcting our practices.
According to measurements, no harm has been caused to the lake
The water level of Lake Pyhäjärvi has dropped by a maximum of 4 cm during the winter water abstraction season. Snowmaking is mainly carried out within the lake's own catchment area, so the vast majority of the water used for snowmaking returns to the lake in the spring with melting snow. No other impacts on the lake or its environment have been observed.
How we are addressing the situation
In spring 2026, we applied for a new water permit for 360,000 m³, which would have covered Pyhä's snowmaking needs for decades to come and is oversized for the current situation. We have just submitted a significantly reduced application to the Permit and Supervisory Authority:
- We are applying for water only for the needs of our existing slopes and cross-country skiing tracks, totaling 180,000 m³ per year. This is half the water volume in the original application and less than we have used on average in recent years. This amount is less than one percent of the total water volume of Lake Pyhäjärvi, which is approximately 21 million cubic meters. 180,000 m³ would correspond to a 7 cm drop in the lake's water level if taken all at once. In reality, the impact on water level changes is considerably smaller because snowmaking water is drawn over several winter months, and replacement water continuously flows into the lake thanks to Lake Pyhäjärvi's spring-fed nature. In most years, the lake's water level at the end of the snowmaking season has actually been higher than when it started.
- No new water abstraction structures will be built, and the water cooling tower located on the shore will be dismantled in November at the request of local residents.
- The state of the lake will be monitored more closely in the future through water level and water quality measurements.
Securing snowmaking for the 2026–2027 winter season
For this snowmaking season, we will only use the 40,000 m³ of water from Lake Pyhäjärvi permitted by our current license until our new water abstraction license comes into effect. We are currently exploring ways to utilize existing water abstraction permits totaling 52,000 m³ in Pyhä's other water bodies, which we have not used in years. We have also acquired additional snow fences to more effectively collect wind-driven snow onto the slopes above the tree line. We already have good experience with collecting snow using snow fences from recent years. During the winter of 2025–2026, we collected as much as 37 percent of the slope snow volume using snow fences. However, they do not sufficiently replace snowmaking done with water and snow cannons. Unfortunately, due to the current water situation, we are unable to produce snow for the early-season cross-country skiing track for the time being, but we are looking into the matter with our partner responsible for the tracks.
Our goal is to open Pyhä's ski season on Friday, November 27, 2026
The mild October and November have delayed the start of snowmaking. We are doing everything we can so you can get out skiing and snowboarding as soon as possible. We will share up-to-date information about opening slopes and cross-country skiing tracks on our website and social media channels.
Thank you for being part of Pyhä. We are committed to earning your trust and ensuring that the lake and fells remain beautiful and pristine for future generations.
Best regards,
Antti Kärävä, CEO, Pyhätunturi Oy