Overview
Join The Nature Conservancy and Snowbird for a special presentation:
Watershed: From Mountain Forests to Great Salt Lake
Linking mountain snowpack, forest health and water flows while connecting the whole system to the Great Salt Lake.
Carli Kierstead, The Nature Conservancy's Wyoming forest program director, will take us into the mountains to explore how snowpack, forests and water are deeply connected. Using snowtography—a mix of time-lapse cameras and simple sensors—Carli shows how snow accumulates and melts differently across forested landscapes, and why forest management matters for water supply. Her work reveals how decisions made high in the headwaters shape when and how water moves downstream, setting the stage for everything that follows.
Tim Hawkes, Chairman of the Board of the Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative and former Utah State Representative, will anchor the Great Salt Lake portion of the program, connecting mountain snowpack and upstream water management to the lake’s long-term health. Drawing on his experience in public service and industry, Tim will explore what’s working, what’s still needed, and how recent legislation and collaborative restoration efforts are shaping the lake’s future. His perspective will ground the discussion in both ecological and economic reality, with clear takeaways on what it will realistically take to stabilize the Great Salt Lake over time.
Panel Discussion
Following these presentations, Danna Baxley, TNC’s Water and Agriculture Strategy Director for Utah, will lead a panel discussion with Carli Kierstead, Tim Hawkes and Lindsie Smith of the Great Salt Lake Alliance. The discussion will continue the conversation on the Great Salt Lake watershed and include time for audience questions.
Event Details
March 4, 2026
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
The Cliff Lodge Ballroom at Snowbird
9385 S. Snowbird Center Dr., Snowbird, UT 84092
- Lift tickets not included
- Pastries & coffee will be provided
- Parking in Entry 4 is recommended for access to The Cliff Lodge
- There are a variety of free and paid parking options, including valet at The Cliff Lodge
- If a canyon closure impacts the event, Ski for Nature will not be rescheduled