The Mountain Climate Research Group formed in 2016 at the 7th Mountain Climate Conference, inspired to critically explore the existing climate change science of the Columbia River Basin headwaters. Our interest grew out of awareness of mountain systems as sentinels of water change, combined with the Basin’s considerable dependence on snow to provide seasonal water resources for a highly diverse, and sometimes competing, set of uses. Our commitment to a collaborative approach was motivated by a shared concern for broad and interrelated climate change impacts on current and future water resources. We represent a wide array of disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds that include ecology, economics, hydrology, forestry, geology, geography, water management, policy, and law. Each of our team members is a graduate (or PI) of the University of Idaho Water Resources IGERT program.