Hello from the trail. A lot has been happening over the past couple of months and I’ll start with our new National Park Service interactive web map (https://www.nps.gov/iafl/planyourvisit/maps.htm). Our new web map will help visitors locate and understand the complexity of various Ice Age flood features throughout Ice Age Floods National Georgic Trail. This new map would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of the Ice Age Floods Institute.
The National Park Service has also been out and about with its mobile visitor center for the floods and Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area. The trailer was at several Spokane conventions earlier this year and made an appearance at the 2023 Sand Hill Crane Festival is Othello, WA.
This year’s Ice Age Floods Institute annual member meeting was a smashing success. The Jubilee was a grand time for many to dig deeper into their experiences with this fascinating story. So many floods’ detectives out walking, hiking, and driving Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail, I was excited to meet and join with members through presentations, walks and tours in the heart of the Missoula Floods there at Dry Falls and the Grand Coulee.
Last month the National Park Service was also fortunate enough to participate in the Geologic Society of America 2023 Penrose Conference. This conference focused on Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) and drew presentations from world renowned scientists. Fitting that this conference was also held at Dry Falls on the 100th anniversary of J Harlen Bretz’s first publication about the Channeled Scabland. It was great to see so many people thinking about outburst floods and, of course, several of the presentations focused on the Missoula Floods. Scientists from all over the world are taking various approaches to better understanding the forces at work during massive GOLF events.
Efforts like dating giant gravel bars help us better understand when events took place, modeling water flow helps us see where water went based on various terrains, and new Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data is helping us see past vegetation to the hidden landscape below. I was most impressed with the scope of efforts underway. From British Columbia, Alaska, and the Tropical Andes, to China, Antarctica, and Iceland, evidence of events like our Missoula Floods are being closely studied across the globe. Also in attendance were members of the twelve Bands which compose the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The Grand Coulee and surrounding flood channels are the historic homelands of the Colville Tribe, and they shared cultural connections with the landscape and floods. In all some 70 participants helped create an atmosphere of reverence for a greater understanding of the forces at work changing our planet: then and now.
I would also like to thank our partners at Washington State Parks for not only hosting both events but also for the daily care and respect they show these special places. Don’t forget you are also encouraged to come by the Dry Fall Visitor Center for this year’s Flood Fest, July 22, 11-3pm. See you there!