About the Trust

Guided by the leadership and experience of the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust was established and funded by the State of Utah as a strategy to help address the water challenges facing Great Salt Lake and its wetlands, slowing the rate of decline as we work in collaboration to change Great Salt Lake’s trajectory and preserve this vital ecosystem.

Many tools and solutions are needed to address the challenges facing Great Salt Lake due to low water levels and rising salinity in the lake. The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust is just one of those solutions.

The Trust’s mission is to help preserve the irreplaceable wetlands and waters of Great Salt Lake by fostering collaborative partnerships and innovative water projects for the benefit of people and wildlife.

To accomplish its mission, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust’s work operates on four pillars:

Retain & Enhance Water Flows

Retaining existing water flows or securing new water flows for Great Salt Lake and its wetlands based on voluntary arrangements that benefit water quality and quantity.

Conserve, Protect & Restore

Conserving and restoring upland and wetland habitats through strategic and collaborative approaches to protect or enhance Great Salt Lake’s hydrology.

Engage & Leverage Funding

Leveraging external funding from public and private sources to help sustain the long-term commitments of water leases and other projects to benefit Great Salt Lake.

Water Distribution & Management

Contributing to efforts that improve the flexibility and efficiency of water distribution systems, as well as supporting water management and planning efforts.

*For more information on the arrangement between the grantor (State of Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands) and the grantees (Audubon and TNC), please visit the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands website.

As Great Salt Lake faces a pivotal moment — continuing low water levels and increasing salinity levels — the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust has adopted a five-year strategy to guide its efforts in helping to address the challenges facing Great Salt Lake and its wetlands.

Learn more about the Five-Year Strategy and the goals of the Trust →

Our work would not be possible without partnership

Preserving Great Salt Lake and its wetlands for future generations takes coordination across a wide range of organizations, individuals and actions. The Trust works with a range of partners. This includes close collaboration with State of Utah officials, including the Utah Department of Natural Resources and its Divisions of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and Wildlife Resources, whether on water transactions or wetlands grant programs.

We also coordinate closely with the Trust Council and the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner.

Meet the Team

  • Marcelle Shoop

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Marcelle leads the Trust’s strategy implementation including efforts to secure water flows for Great Salt Lake and support restoration and protection of wetlands to benefit lake hydrology. This includes closely coordinating with key partners to implement the Trust’s goals.

  • Trip Armstrong

    PROGRAM DIRECTOR

    Trip guides the Trust’s operations and projects, including managing priority strategies and programs, and helps with local and regional development and outreach opportunities to support the work of the Trust.

  • Adam Wickline

    SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

    Adam leads voluntary water transactions in the Weber and Bear River watersheds to benefit the hydrology of Great Salt Lake and its wetlands.

  • Max Malmquist

    ENGAGEMENT MANAGER

    Max supports voluntary water transactions in the Jordan River, Utah Lake, and Provo River Watershed and develops stakeholder relationships.

  • Shaela Adams

    COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER

    Shaela develops and implements communications strategies that highlight the Trust’s innovative conservation initiatives for Great Salt Lake.

  • Bronti DeRoché

    PROGRAM MANAGER

    Bronti supports voluntary water transactions in the Weber, Bear and Jordan River watersheds to benefit the hydrology of Great Salt Lake and its wetlands.