When the Hudson River was tapped in 1995, it was probably considered more than enough at the time. The system would've mostly been air-limited back then, so water capacity would've rarely if ever been maxed out. This was even still largely true when Burnt Ridge was added in 2008.
When they upgraded the main pumphouse in 2018, that meant that the reservoir would drain more quickly, so it was expanded. They will only drain it during long sustained periods of cold weather, with snowmaking at full capacity.
The reason they went to the ski bowl so early was to take advantage of the early cold snaps at the low elevation. Until the reservoir drained, it did not affect snowmaking capacity on the upper mountain. This is the most efficient way to do it, as it maximizes the water being sent to trails, even if the ski bowl won't open right away. Usually early season snowmaking are short, so there would be ample time to refill during warm ups. At a week before Christmas they should have it all open and connected, as they are making snow on the connector trails to and from Burnt Ridge. And snowmaking is heading to the summit soon as well, as is stated in the report.
The fact is they are likely running at their theoretical long-term maximum of 4800 gpm, and the only way to increase this is to increase their permit limit for water at the Hudson.
Whiteface is ahead because they have a higher withdrawal amount at 6000 gpm. As such, their long-term maximum is higher, despite their absolute maximum being lower, and they have less acreage to cover.
