Ice Age Floods Educator Workshops Report
Every student in the Northwest should experience the incredible science story of the megafloods that shaped our landscape and history. To help bring this story to life, the Ice Age Floods Institute, Engaging Every Student, and our partners are excited to invite K–12 educators to free special training events. Thanks to support from the Avista Foundation, we are offering free hybrid workshops where you will gain access to valuable resources designed to inspire students to investigate their local environment.
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Gary Ford (1943 – 2026)
Members and the Board of Directors of the Ice Age Floods Institute (IAFI) remember fondly our long-time leader, mentor, and friend, Dr. Gary Ford, and deeply mourn his passing. Gary left us peacefully at his home on June 4, 2026 after living a full life of service, curiosity, and dedication. Born in Illinois on May 20, 1943, Gary lived it with an infectious curiosity in a journey defined by service and a profound connection to the earth. After serving in the United States Air Force, he channeled his love for the environment into a Ph.D. in Soil Conservation at Montana State University. He went on to spend a meaningful career protecting America’s most iconic landscapes as a park ranger in Yellowstone National Park and later with the U.S. Forest Service. When Gary “retired,” he brought his leadership and wealth of knowledge to the Ice Age Floods Institute, first as President of the Cheney-Spokane Chapter (2009–2012), then taking the helm as Institute President from 2012 to 2026. Gary tirelessly shared and fully believed that the grand, cataclysmic geological history of the Pacific Northwest belonged to everyone. As a leader, Gary was defined by his extraordinary openness, thoughtfulness, and exceptional people management skills. He possessed a rare ability to harness a diverse Board of Directors, skillfully guiding a wide range of perspectives and building bridges toward a unified, shared vision. He was always eager to welcome new members, champion fresh ideas, support grassroots chapters, and spark a shared sense of wonder in anyone who would listen. His leadership wasn’t rigid or about titles; it was about fostering an open, collaborative community united by curiosity. Gary’s quiet strength, warmth, and gentle spirit left an indelible mark on his family, colleagues, and the landscape he spent his life protecting. Beyond his geological pursuits, Gary was a devoted family man who loved sharing adventures, laughter, and a good story. He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara Ford; his daughter and son-in-law, Flavia and Matt Hildebrant; his grandsons, Aspen and Dylan Bergland; his sister, Luann Ford; and his cousin, Anna Belle Alshire. He famously passed his love of Star Wars down to his grandsons and was always ready with a perfectly timed Yoda quote to put life into perspective: “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.” In keeping with Gary’s wishes, no formal celebration of life will be held. Instead, his family will scatter his ashes in a place that held a special, enduring meaning to him.
Celebration Park – Home of Melon Gravel
17,000 years ago, a massive Ice Age lake – now called Lake Bonneville – filled a large portion of present-day Utah. As temperatures changed, the influx of ice melt caused the lake level to rise. In addition, the Bear River, once a tributary of the Snake, was diverted by volcanic activity back into Lake Bonneville. These factors ultimately led to the breaching of a sedimentary rock dam at Red Rocks Pass, Idaho. There was only one ice-age Bonneville Flood because Lake Bonneville broke through a rock dam, unlike the Missoula Floods whose glacial ice dam repeatedly dammed Glacial Lake Missoula, then broke and rebuilt. 1,100 cubic miles of Lake Bonneville water rushed through the Snake River Canyon, and it took only six weeks for Lake Bonneville to empty the equivalent volume of modern-day Lake Michigan. The Great Salt Lake we know today is a remnant of Lake Bonneville, but at one tenth the size, it is a mere puddle compared to what the lake used to be. The power of this catastrophic flood widened canyons as the force of the water pulled huge chunks of basalt off the cliffs and tumbled them around, smoothing their jagged edges along the way. As the canyon width narrowed, the force and velocity of the flood increased. Wherever the canyons widened, the flood lost force and velocity, the waters slowed and began dropping its bedload – in this case, giant tumbled basalt boulders instead of your typical river gravel. These flood-rounded boulders, named melon gravel due to their distinct shape, are scattered over vast areas of land. The rocks’ unique outlines and smooth surfaces caught the eye of Native American tribes in the area, who have used them as canvases for petroglyphs for thousands of years. Visitors can see the medium sized flood deposits just outside the visitor center, or hike upriver to see gigantic melon gravel the size of heavy-duty trucks. Celebration Park is located in the Snake River Canyon, approximately 23 miles south of Nampa, Idaho. It is home to an enormous melon gravel field deposited by the Bonneville Flood.
Glaciers You May Never Have Heard Of!
Glaciers you’ve never heard of could be the most important climate havens. They’re called rock glaciers, and they might not look like much, but they’ll continue to provide meltwater after the world’s iconic white glaciers are gone. Rock glaciers are slow-moving masses of rock debris and ice that flow downhill the same way that glaciers do, but they are covered by a thick layer of rock and boulders that can easily be mistaken for stable ground. There are at least 1,500 active rock glaciers across the western U.S., and they’re important. That’s because while the icy white glaciers people typically picture have been shrinking and even disappearing, but a new study shows that rock glaciers and their frozen water are remaining mostly stable despite rising temperatures. The thick debris mantle shades the ice, keeping it colder. The result is that rock glaciers continue to provide meltwater for streams in summer as they always have, but they aren’t disappearing. Every year, mountain glaciers partially melt and then rebuild again as snow falls in winter. But as temperature rise, glaciers are losing more ice than they gain. The vast majority of glaciers in temperate mountain ranges like the Tetons are projected to melt away completely by the end of the century, meaning a critical source of water for mountain streams and lakes will disappear. However, where rock glaciers are present, their protected ice will continue to release meltwater into the streams below, buffering the streams against warming temperatures and drying. Understanding how much ice is contained in rock glaciers and how fast they are likely to melt is vital to help natural resource and land managers plan for the landscapes they will be managing later this century. Researchers have found that some icy glaciers thinned by 2.75 feet per year (0.84 meters per year) between 2014 and 2022, about seven times faster than in the previous half-century. Rock glaciers, on the other hand, were close to stable, losing only about 0.16 feet (0.05 meters) per year in 2014-2022, with no change relative to the 1967-2014 period. Having a major ice source feeding a stream has also limited the warming of that stream over the past decade. Streams fed by rock glaciers warmed slowly, by about 1.1 degrees Fahrenheit (0.6 degrees Celsius) over the decade, while icy glaciers warmed by about 1 F (0.9 C). Streams that were fed by seasonal snowpack, small patches of ice and groundwater warmed more rapidly, by 6.1 F (3.4 C) over the same period. In one instance, the small snowfields feeding one of our long-term study sites largely disappeared, causing the stream below it to stop flowing by late summer. Because of this, streams fed by rock glaciers have emerged as potentially critical climate refugia – places likely to stay cooler while everything around them warms – for cold-water wildlife in high-mountain ecosystems. A wide array of species already live in the cold meltwater that emerges from rock glaciers, from stoneflies to the bull trout that eat them. As glaciers fade, the ties between cold-water animals and rock glaciers will likely only become tighter. So, the next time you’re out in the mountains, staring off into the distance, look carefully for these large fields of rock that appear to be flowing down the mountainside. And pay attention to that small trickle of meltwater emerging from the toe of the rock glacier. While meltwater from rock glaciers alone certainly won’t make up for the glaciers lost, it could help mitigate the most severe impacts where rock glaciers persist. Excerpted from an article in The Conversation by Dan McGrath and Ashlesha Khatiwada
GLM Chapter Adds to the “Route of the Rocks”
Members of the Glacial Lake Missoula Chapter recently placed two more rock markers on recreation trails located on Missoula hillsides. Both rocks were placed at 4200 feet elevation, the highest fill level of the Lake. The inscription contains IAFI’s name and logo, Glacial Lake Missoula, and the high-water elevation of 4200 feet. The rocks (known as #6 and #7) continue the “Route of the Rocks” project of previously placed rocks throughout the Missoula area. Most of the rocks are situated at 4200 feet. Missoula’s elevation is about 3200 feet, so trail users can imagine the valley completely submerged with only the highest surrounding hill tops sticking out. Number 6 is located on the Miller Trail which begins at the Little Park Creek Trailhead and parking lot, accessed via upper Miller Creek Road. Hiking distance is approximately 1.5 miles. Number 7 sits at 4200 feet on Marshall Mountain, a former ski area but now a park, in East Missoula. From the parking lot take the Easy Up Trail .6 mile to the rock. The rocks are either argillite or quartzite from the Belt Formation. An interactive trail map of the Missoula area can be found at https://missoulamaps-cityofmissoula.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/missoula-trails
NORM SMYERS, AUGUST 10, 1943-APRIL 1, 2026
Norm Smyers, 82, of Missoula, Montana, passed away at home on April 1, 2026. During the past 30 years Norm has been actively involved in the formation, direction and leadership of the Ice Age Floods Institute, and in his local Glacial Lake Missoula chapter, all of which gave him immeasurable satisfaction and pride. Born Norman Bernard Smyers and raised in Hawthorne, California, Norm loved the beach, raced his bicycle all over the South Bay area, hiked and explored the nearby mountains and deserts. He realized at a very young age that he wanted to be a geologist, a goal likely arising from family camp trips to the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada where landforms, rocks, and fossils captivated his curiosity. He graduated from California State College, Long Beach, followed by an MS in geology from CSU, San Diego, and much later, an MA in anthropology (his “retirement” degree) from University of Montana (always a lifelong learner). His career began with teaching high school science and math in Torrance, California, interspersed with several enjoyable summers working as a ranger/naturalist at Crater Lake National Park, Cape Perpetua/Siuslaw National Forest, the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest/Inyo National Forest, and Bryce Canyon National Park. For thirty years, he held geologist positions with the US Geological Survey, US Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service in California, Nevada, Colorado and Montana. He also served on the Target Range Sewer and Water Board, participated in Five Valleys Audubon, and enjoyed cruising in his ’47 Ford and ’85 Corvette with local car clubs. On May 14, 2026, friends celebrated Norm’s life on the banks of the Clark Fork River, a remnant of Glacial Lake Missoula, where his ashes happily wafted, settled and mingled with the sediments. RIP Norm, your life and contributions are remembered fondly and with great respect for all you have done. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Cathryn, his companion dog Paco, and many friends and admirers.
5 Ways to Look at the US Without State Boundaries
State boundaries can be iconic. Many were drawn by human hands, but some of the most recognizable contours were shaped by nature: the boot of southeastern Louisiana, carved by the Mississippi River, or the ocean waves sculpting the hook of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. For a moment, imagine that there are no state lines. View the United States through its natural contours. The curators at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History often look at our nation this way, drawing different kinds of maps that trace mountains, watersheds, animal migrations, biomes, ancient seas and so much more. Geologic age maps can reveal ancient landscapes hidden beneath modern ones. Smithsonian/Esri/USGS/GSA, CC BY-NC Climate, vegetation and animal life vary across the landscapes of the United States, forming distinct biomes. Smithsonian/Esri/RESOLVE, CC BY-NC North America’s watersheds cross state and national boundaries, linking distant rivers and landscapes through the flow of water. Smithsonian/Esri/CEC, CC BY-NC Thousands of animals trace migration routes across the United States. Smithsonian/Esri/Movebank Data Repository, CC BY-NC The topography of North America ranges from broad coastal plains to rugged mountain systems. The ridges, valleys, streams and caves of the Appalachian Mountains create small pockets of habitat for many different plants and animals. Smithsonian/Esri/CEC/USGS, CC BY-NC These kinds of maps show us how connected we all are by nature, since it transcends state boundaries. That idea is central to the new exhibition, “From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage,” now open at the Smithsonian’s museum to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The co-curators of the show are part of a team of exhibit designers and developers who created the exhibition. “From These Lands” uses items from the museum’s collections to explore these patterns and ideas, offering a way to see the country’s natural and cultural heritage beyond state lines. Reproduced from The Conversation
Rehoming Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter
Our Wenatchee Valley Erratics Chapter home for many years at Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center is now officially closed as of May 18th for a huge renovation project. With that news, now begins the relocation of our chapter’s Education Dept. (i.e., Chapter Headquarters) to the Wells House. We will have our Presentation Area, Internet and Equipment ready in July in time for our August presentation, which is sure to be a reward for our patient Chapter members. The Wells House will provide a historic setting and venue although quaint. The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center has long been a place where the history, culture, and creativity of our region come alive. Yet today’s visitors need more than the museum’s current facilities can provide—easier access, more engaging spaces, and opportunities to connect across generations and cultures. The “Branch Out” campaign is Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center’s answer to that need. By reimagining our campus with connected buildings, welcoming gathering areas, and interactive exhibits, we will create a destination that reflects the energy of our growing community and ensures these stories are preserved, shared, and celebrated for decades to come. Take a virtual fly-through of the new museum design. Relive the joy of the project groundbreaking event. Support the Museum & Cultural Center’s Branch Out building fund campaign. Donations will be matched until June 30th by the Wiedner Group. The Wells House has a long and varied history in Wenatchee. From its construction in 1909, it had been used as family residences, junior college girl’s dorms, administration offices, early classrooms and student activities. It was rescued from demolition and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, before being deeded to the Museum with the goal of preserving and maintaining it so that it can be used and enjoyed by the public, raise awareness of our valley’s history, and be an architectural asset that contributes to a sense of place and pride within our community.
Remembering Stev Ominski
Stev Harvey Ominski, 74, passed on Sunday, May 24, 2026, from stroke complications. Stev created illustrations rendering visual imaged to the Missoula Ice Age Floods that have been included in numerous publications from the Oregonian to the New York Times. A traveling collection of his Ice Age Floods work was exhibited at the U of O Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Eugene), the Columbia River Exhibition of History Science and Technology (Richland, WA) and The Discovery Center (The Dalles). Painting to Stev was like breathing. Just something he did daily. Primarily self-taught, Stev began his professional career in the fine arts in 1970 with emphasis on intimate landscapes and other subjects from the natural world. He worked in the mediums of pencil drawing, watercolor, acrylic, and oils. He showed in numerous exhibitions in galleries and museums and was included in group exhibits at the Portland Art Museum as well as OSU’s Art about Agriculture and Seeing the Forest. He was especially proud of his work at the Salem Public Library, Salem Pediatric Clinic, Salem Cardiology Clinic, Albany Hospital and Louisiana Pacific. Stev wrote and illustrated “Nature Notes” a weekly nature column for the Salem Statesman Journal. He taught watercolor at Chemeketa Community College. Stev enjoyed exploring the outdoors, especially creeks and streams and casting one of his hand tied flies for trout in coastal streams. Cooking was another art to which Stev acquired the requisite skills to serve tasty and filling meals. One hand held a glass of wine while the other stirred the pot. Music was a big part of his life. Especially the Beatles, and specifically George Harrison for his introspective qualities. But his artistic generosity and ability to bring the immensity of the Ice Age Floods to life is something we’ll be ever indebted, grateful and appreciative of. If you’d like, you can make donations in his memory to the Ice Age Floods Institute at IAFI, c/o Monte Nail, 1880 Fowler St., Richland, WA 99352 The IAFI Store has a limited stock of Stev’s Ice Age Floods images available for purchase. Stev was very picky, personally supervising the prints for sizing, cropping, depth of colors, matting and signing, so when our stock is sold out they cannot be reordered.
Fueling Yellowstone’s Supervolcano: A New Tectonic Twist
New research suggests that the Yellowstone supervolcano may not be fueled by a deep “mantle plume” as previously believed. Instead, a study published in Science suggests that the volcano’s activity is driven primarily by tectonic shifts within Earth’s crust. The New “Plumbing” Model For years, scientists debated whether Yellowstone was heated by a deep column of hot rock rising from the Earth’s core. However, researchers using 3D modeling discovered that the magma system is actually controlled by two competing tectonic forces: Crustal Stretching: The lithosphere (outer crust) is being pulled toward the U.S. West Coast. Sinking Plates: An ancient tectonic plate, the Farallon slab, is sinking beneath North America, dragging the lower crust downward. This “tug-of-war” pulls the lithosphere open, allowing magma to migrate from the southwest to the northeast and rise toward the surface. This discovery is a game-changer for volcanic forecasting. By understanding that tectonics—rather than a deep plume—fuel the system, scientists can better predict how the volcano will behave as it moves toward the thicker, colder crust to the east. “Our work changes the understanding of how the magma plumbing system works, so future eruption models have to take this into account.” — Lijun Liu, Geologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This tectonic modeling isn’t just for Yellowstone. It could help researchers better understand other high-hazard systems, such as Toba in Southeast Asia and Taupo in New Zealand, potentially improving volcanic safety worldwide. From an article in LIve Science by Sarah Wild