The White River National Forest is seeking public comment on a proposal to install a new water tank on public lands in the Keystone area of Summit County. 

The Snake River Water District is proposing to increase the storage capacity and reliability of its water system to meet the growing demands of the community it serves. The district provides water for drinking and fire protection for approximately 9,900 people in the Keystone area, including the base areas of Keystone Resort. 

The water district wants to install a one-million-gallon, partially buried water tank roughly one-third of a mile north of U.S. Highway 6 across the valley from Keystone Resort and above the Tenderfoot housing area. The tank would be approximately 20 feet high and 100 feet wide. The water district would also construct an access road, and a buried waterline would run the length of the new road. Part of the access road, 800 feet, would be on private property, and the remaining 1,000 feet would be on U.S. Forest Service-owned lands. 

The project would require approximately two acres of disturbance. The water district found this proposed location was the most suitable for meeting the community’s water storage needs after examining numerous other potential locations on both private and National Forest lands surrounding Keystone. 

Additional details about the proposal and information about how to comment are available at FS.USDA.gov/project/whiteriver/?project=66930. Comments will have the largest impact if submitted before Nov. 4, officials say.