Green Light for Snowmaking: How Präbichl Secured Its Winter Season

For months, an eerie, empty basin sat at the foot of Upper Styria’s ski domain in Vordernberg. The Grüblsee—a reservoir essential for supplying the resort's snowmaking infrastructure—was drained completely dry in spring as part of mandatory regulatory updates.

Now, with winter fast approaching, local resort management has confirmed that refilling operations are officially underway, guaranteeing that snowmaking for the upcoming ski season will proceed smoothly without technical delay.

The 25-Year Regulatory Renewal

Under Austrian water rights law (Wasserrecht), resort operators must reapply for water permits every 25 years. To meet state government compliance requirements ahead of the renewal process, Präbichl Bergbahnen executed necessary technical preparations over the summer.

"If authorities mandate specific measures, they must be implemented to bring everything up to the latest state-of-the-art technical standards."

— Walter Hubner, Co-Managing Director of Präbichl Bergbahnen

Refilling Strategy: Step-by-Step Precision

Because filling a high-altitude artificial lake poses hydraulic and structural considerations, the Styrian provincial government mandated a highly controlled, gradual refilling process:

• Meter-by-Meter Increments: Water is pumped into the Grüblsee in one-meter elevation increases.

• Observation Windows: After every single meter of water added, engineers conduct mandatory 2- to 3-day monitoring, structural testing, and documentation phases.

• Target Deadline: The reservoir is slated to reach full capacity by late October, leaving plenty of leeway before sub-zero temperatures arrive.

Key Operational Overview

Summer Tourism Trade-Offs

While the drainage ensures winter sports can proceed without interruption, the temporary dry-out left summer tourist operators—most notably a local scuba diving school that utilizes the Grüblsee—facing season-long disruptions. While acknowledging the tourism value of local diving operations, resort management noted that strict regulatory timelines left no technical alternative or temporary replacement solution available.

With the reservoir filling on schedule and state compliance requirements underway, alpine sports enthusiasts can count on freshly groomed, artificial snow-backed slopes across the Styrian pass.