Community Comes Together for the Snake River Headwaters
Caption: Attendees watch Iconic Rises, a film showcasing the collaborative efforts to preserve the Snake River Cutthroat trout and its habitat.
More than 80 community members came together on October 15 for Watershed Connections: A Community Conversation with the Snake River Headwaters Watershed Group (SRHWG). The evening brought together residents, landowners, guides, agency staff, nonprofits, and researchers—each connected by a shared commitment to a healthy and resilient Snake River Headwaters.
Attendees visited with SRHWG members and 10 partner organizations who tabled and shared how their work—from habitat restoration to water management—supports the headwaters we all depend on.
Partner organizations included:
Grand Teton National Park Foundation • LegacyWorks Group • Protect Our Water JH • Snake River Fund • Teton Conservation District • Teton County Public Works • Teton County Weed & Pest • Town of Jackson • Trout Unlimited •University of Wyoming’s WyACT
The evening opened with a screening of Iconic Rises, a short film by Frogwater Productions that tells the story of the Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat trout and the community-driven effort to ensure its long-term survival.
SRHWG Steering Committee members followed with an inside look at how the group began, how it operates, and how its four working groups are advancing collaborative, community-led solutions across the basin.
“We helped convene the Snake River Headwaters Watershed Group in response to the growing and increasingly complex challenges facing our home waters,” said Leslie Steen, Wyoming State Director for Trout Unlimited. “We’ve spent the last few years finding common ground and building a shared knowledge base among our 250+ members. Now, we’re excited to share that work with the broader community and hope it inspires more people to get involved.”
The night concluded with a dynamic panel discussion featuring voices from agriculture, recreation, conservation, science, and management. Together, they explored both the complexity of today’s watershed challenges and the significant opportunities that emerge when the community works together.
From left to right, steering committee members Orion Hatch (SRF), Clay Moorhead (Various), Jeff VanOrden (Committee of Nine), and Leslie Steen (TU) answer audience questions.
As one of our Steering Committee members, Clay Moorhead, reflected, “Before getting involved and meeting some of the folks at the Bureau of Reclamation, I used to see things as two sides of the river—us versus them. That was a short-sighted perspective. Once I learned about the hierarchy of water rights and how the BOR evaluates them to determine flows, I gained a better appreciation for the complexity of their role. That understanding helped me become more open-minded and see things from a broader perspective. Over time, as trust developed, we began to realize that everyone was really working toward the same goal—doing what’s right for the resource, even if we approached it from different angles. To truly achieve the kind of transformational change we’re aiming for, it takes a diverse group of people who are willing to share, collaborate, and lean into that collective approach.”
His reflection echoed a central takeaway from the evening: our watershed is strongest when diverse perspectives share the same table, learn from one another, and act together.
SRHWG is thrilled to welcome new members who connected with the group following the event, expanding a growing network of landowners, agencies, nonprofits, guides, and residents working together to safeguard the Snake River Headwaters.
This event was made possible through the partnership and support of our Steering Committee, Outreach & Community Engagement Working Group, and many community partners.
Special thanks to our sponsors:
Bureau of Reclamation • Community Foundation of Jackson Hole • Ford Bronco Wild Fund • Protect Our Water JH • Trout Unlimited • Virginian Lodge
About the Snake River Headwaters Watershed Group
Formed in 2023, the Snake River Headwaters Watershed Group (SRHWG) was born from a shared recognition that the challenges facing our watershed—climate change, water management, habitat loss—require collaboration across sectors and communities. Sparked by recent flow regulation crises that threatened fish, insects, and downstream habitat, SRHWG provides a durable, nonpartisan forum where diverse stakeholders can address pressing ecological and water issues before they become crises.
Today, SRHWG is guided by a 15-member Steering Committee and serves a network of 100+ organizations and 300+ individuals. Facilitated by LegacyWorks Group, SRHWG hosts convenings, field outings, and four community-driven working groups—Water Management & Flow, Data & Monitoring, Ecosystem, and Outreach & Community Engagement—to identify emerging issues, shape projects, and set shared priorities for the future of the headwaters.
Interested in getting involved?
Contact Julie@legacyworksgroup.com to learn more or join our next gathering.