Thorn Merrill skis Wasatch powder

Downstream: A Ski Film About The Shrinking Great Salt Lake

Utah's Great Salt Lake is at its lowest point in its recorded history. Without the lake, skiers and riders of the Wasatch Mountains have little hope of continuing to enjoy the mountains surrounding Salt Lake City. Professional skier and atmospheric scientist Thorn Merrill explains how enjoying the Greatest Snow on Earth and the health of Great Salt Lake are inexorably linked.

"Great Salt Lake has dropped over 17 feet from its maximum level," Thorne says. "This is exposing massive areas of dry lake bed, triggering ecosystem collapse and threatening a public health crisis. If we want to continue enjoying our natural spaces, we need to make sure enough water is flowing all the way to Great Salt Lake."

To learn more about this issue, visit Friends of Great Salt Lake at fogsl.org.

Thorn Merrill Explores The Great Salt Lake