Ariz. Top Court Rules Against Hopi on Wastewater Snow on Sacred Land

"The Hopi Tribe cannot claim special damage on land controlled by the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Thursday, all but ending an eight-year legal battle and ensuring the ski area can continue using machine-made snow on the state's most popular slopes.

The Hopi Tribe's lawsuit was originally about the machine-made snow. Its complaint alleged that Snowbowl's use of treated wastewater to make the snow damaged the San Francisco Peaks, which the tribe considers sacred.

Eight years later, the Supreme Court ended up weighing a nuanced legal argument: Whether an appeals court created a new category of "special harm" in public nuisance claims."

Alden Woods reports for the Arizona Republic November 29, 2018.