Ice Age FloodFest 2025

Dry Falls Visitor Center 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA, United States

Get ready for the Ice Age Floodfest 2025, an unparalleled celebration of the cataclysmic events that carved out the Pacific Northwest's iconic channeled scablands! Dive deep into the geological story that spans millennia and reshaped the very landscape beneath our feet. From towering coulees to vast dry falls, the evidence of these ancient, colossal floods is everywhere, and this year's Floodfest promises to raise your awareness and understanding of their incredible power and lasting impact. Join us in the Lower Grand Coulee for a day of expert-led talks, fascinating field trips, and engaging exhibits that will transport you back to a time when mile-high ice dams burst, unleashing torrents of water that dwarfed any flood in human history. Whether you're a seasoned geologist or simply curious about the natural wonders around you, the Ice Age Floodfest 2025 is an event you won't want to miss! Presenters will share their knowledge and their appreciation of  Ice Age Floods Geology, the Channeled Scablands, Shrub  Steppe Ecosystems, Anthropology, Archeology, and History. Field Trip Hike: 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Where: Lake Lenore Caves Heritage Area Bruce Bjornstad, a Research Scientist based in Richland, Washington and  author of the popular ‘On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods’ guidebooks, will lead an  educational hike from the Lake Lenore Caves trailhead. The park is situated above Lake  Lenore, and it offers stunning views of the valley. The caves themselves are shallow basalt  formations created during the Great Missoula floods. Outdoor Booths: 10 AM – 3 PM on the campus of Dry Falls Visitor Center. Featuring Federal, State, Confederated Tribes of the Colville  Reservation, Nonprofits, Historians, Authors, & Volunteers Where: Dry Falls Visitor Center – Sun Lakes Dry Falls State Park 35661 HWY 17 North, Coulee City, WA 99115 Ice Age Floods Institute - Lower Grand Coulee Chapter and other Ice Age Flood Institute chapters from Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation will have historic photographs telling the  story and the history of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. They will also share  the legends of the beautiful landscape of the Dry Falls area and surrounding landscape.  Dr. Karen Capuder - Anthropologist and Senior Archaeologist Colville Tribes, will share some of  the cultural and political history of the Colville Tribes, from time immemorial to the present day.  Grant County Historians/authors: Dan Bolyard & John M. Kemble – Dan Bolyard has been a lifelong Grant County Big Bend area resident and railroad historian. John M. Kemble is a local historian and explorer highlighting Dry Falls, Sun Lakes, Steamboat Rock, The Grand Coulee, and Banks Lake.  North Central Regional Library –April Harward, learn about the NCW Summer Library programs - captivating storytelling to engaging workshops and fun activities, everyone can unleash their unique voice and explore their passions.  National Park Service – Justin Radford, Program Manager for the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail with a Mobile Interpretive Center showcasing the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, and The Grand Coulee a National Natural Landmark.  Foster Creek & Columbia Basin Conservation Districts – programs on Shrub Steppe ecology, water resources, wildlife, and native vegetation. Washington Department of Wildlife – wildlife found in Eastern Washington as well as the enhancement and preservation work that is done in the Columbia Basin. Archeologist – Mark Amara, Kim Lancaster, and Kellie Green; representing the Cascadia Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Their booth will highlight  the importance of historical artifacts, tools of the trade, and hands-on activity too. Bureau of Reclamation – will have an overview of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project, and  the Grand Coulee Dam. Presentations: 10 am - 3 pm Where: inside/upstairs in the Dry Falls Visitor Center NPS Ranger Justin Radford Ranger David McWalter 10 am – 11 am: Justin Radford, Program Manager, NPS, Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, will present an  overview of this unique geologic trail starting in Montana, through Idaho, Oregon, and  Washington. Interpretive Specialist, David McWalter, will present an overview of Washington's Ice Age Floods,  introduce the rugged terrain of eastern Washington that was shaped by floods of unimaginable  power during the last ice age, and share how the scientific views of the landscape have changed  over the last century.   11:30 am – 12:30 pm: WA DNR, Geologist Joel Gombiner will present an update on recent studies of Washington’s Ice  Age Floods and introduce a new lidar-based visualization of Dry Falls. 1 pm – 2 pm: WA State Parks, Interpretive Specialist 1, Sarah Overby will present "Brushstrokes: The  Colorful Story of Lichen". From rocks, trees, soil, and pretty much anything that will sit still long  enough, lichen will spring up in robust colonies. Crusty, leafy, or even… fuzzy? They paint beautiful  bright oranges and greens across the dark basalt rock and the branches of the sagebrush, but  what are they doing there? This 45-minute presentation aims to dive deeper into the complexities  of lichen and discuss its impact on ecosystems as well as its impact on us.  2:30 pm – 3:00 pm: Viewing of Bruce Bjornstad’s - "Ice Age Floodscapes" Bretz’ Great Cataract Group Primordial Potholes Coulee Grand Coulee – NW Exposures Dry Falls Deep Lake Potholes Dry Falls Visitor Center - weather station - up-to-date weather conditions at Dry Falls provided by the National Park Service. Watch a timelapse of the past 24 hours by clicking on the small photo, enlarge, press play, and enjoy!

Rescheduled Cheney-Spokane Chapter Hike – Waikiki Springs

Waikiki Springs Trailhead Washington

Join us for a scenic and informative hike north of Spokane, where geologist Michael Hamilton, an IAFICS board member, will guide us through fascinating Ice Age flood features. This newly protected conservation area boasts well-established trails and stunning geological formations. At Waikiki Springs, the Spokane Aquifer emerges from beneath an ancient, sand-and-gravel-filled valley—evidence of the massive outburst floods that shaped the region during the last Ice Age. Group size is limited to the first 20 registrants. Once you sign up, we’ll provide full hike details and keep you updated on any changes leading up to the event. Resources: Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve

Lower Chiwawa River Valley Field Trip

Retired CWU Geographer Karl Lillquist will lead a field trip to the lower Chiwawa River Valley near Plain, WA.  Plan on gathering in the vicinity of Plain at about 10am.  More details will be forthcoming in the next month or so.

Joseph Pardee – Swiss Army Knife for the USGS!

Hal Holmes Community Center 201 Ruby St, Ellensburg, WA, United States

Joseph T. Pardee Bill Burgel will be speaking on the career and contributions of Joseph Pardee to our understanding of the Ice Age Floods. Joseph T. Pardee was a USGS Field Geologist who, for 32 years (1910-1941), focused on a variety of geologic issues throughout the country. His geologic acumen was vigorously sought after by nearly every department within the USGS. Pardee is most widely known for quipping that “he knew where Bretz’ water was.” As retirement approached, Pardee used his intense observational skills and his incredible patience to finally devote himself to his secret love of Glacial Lake Missoula (GLM)when he published his “Unusual Currents.” It made clear that GLM drained catastrophically fast and flowed at incredible speeds. He thus provided a possible source for the catastrophic flood that Bretz had been postulating. Bill Burgel, Professional Geologist Registered in Oregon and Idaho, retired in 2015 after a successful 45-year career in the railroad industry. He worked for several railroads nationwide in both the engineering and operating departments. While working for the railroad, his interest and training in geology was often called upon to resolve landslide issues and rerouting studies, implement early earthquake warning strategies, and conduct numerous long railroad tunnel analyses. Bill has given numerous presentations on rail issues as well as earthquake preparedness and topics pertaining to regional geology to local audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest and on cruise ships.

Free

Cheney-Spokane Members Meeting and Public Lecture

Doris Morrison Learning Center (DMLC) 1330 S Henry Road, Greenacres, Washington

This event is open to the public, but only IAFI Cheney-Spokane members can vote during the member meeting. It will be held at the beautiful new Doris Morrison Learning Center at 1330 S. Henry Road.  Exit the freeway south on Barker Road, turn left at the roundabout at Sprague Road, then right at the three-way junction on Henry Road. Member meeting: 2:00-3:00 PM Speaker details are still coming together, so stay tuned! Note: At present, we have three openings on our chapter board.  Our board meets the third Tuesday of each month from 3-5 PM at the Wren-Pierson Building in Cheney.  Interested? Members with expertise in accounting or K-12 education or medical experience or any other expertise that would aid our chapter's mission should send a very brief vita to Dr. Linda McCollum, President, IAFI Cheney-Spokane Chapter, lmccollum@ewu.edu

Northern Kittitas Valley Fault Trace Research

Hal Holmes Community Center 201 Ruby St, Ellensburg, WA, United States

Stephen Angster, +one Stephen Angster, a research scientist at the Seattle Field Office of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Science Center, focuses on characterizing and integrating upper-plate fault source parameters for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis in the Pacific Northwest. He employs a multidisciplinary approach—emphasizing paleoseismic trenching as a tool alongside geophysical and geological investigations—to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of prehistoric large earthquakes. Steve currently leads active research projects on both sides of the Cascades. On the west side, he has identified new fault scarps along the Seattle fault zone and the Canyon River fault. East of the Cascades, his work focuses on constraining the nature and extent of back-arc deformation. Understanding strain accommodation across the Kittitas Valley is a key component to that research. He will present new data from studying several strands of a fault trace that spans many kilometers of the northern Kittitas Valley. Stephen holds a B.S. from Western Illinois University, an M.S. from the Colorado School of Mines, and a Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Free