Studying the area's geological history

EPHRATA — John Moody's office at the Bureau of Reclamation resembles part of the geology building of a major university.

There are several maps on the walls along the corridor leading to the office and inside. Lots of wood in the form of desks, drawers and shelves give the office a rustic feeling, making it seem fitting for a man who marvels at the natural beauty of the region.

"The geology of this area is fascinating," he said.

Moody is the manager of irrigation operations and technical services at the bureau and serves as a member of the Ice Age Floods Institute, dedicated to promoting the geological history and educating people about the events shaping the land.

"It took a flood event, a catastrophic flood event to cause the many things that we see today," he said.

On a map and with the skill of a professor, Moody can point to locations like Lake Missoula, Moses Coulee and the Palisades, explaining along the way the flow of water responsible for carving and shaping the topography.

The basalt columns prevalent in the area received their column-like shape due to the speed at which they cooled, while the rounded granites are shaped by the tumbling motion as they made their journey.

"But the purpose of the Ice Age Floods Institute is just to research, try and come up with the theories that fit the evidence so that we can have a better understanding as to what did take place," he said.

While Moody's office contains encyclopedic information on the area, only so much can be studied indoors and the institute holds excursions to experience the natural wonder at hand.

On Sept. 8 the Wenatchee Erratics Chapter hosts a field trip leaving from Wenatchee and heading toward the area around East Wenatchee and Quincy, Moody said. Sights along the way include Trinidad and the Palisades, areas where evidence of outwash from the waters from Moses Coulee is visible. In the Quincy area attendees see the Ancient Lakes and Babcock Coulee. Lower Crab Creek and Red Rock Coulee are on the itinerary.

"It's really quite an extensive tour," he said. "It's a real challenge to see all that in a day's time."

To fit in all the sights, the tour leaves at 7:30 a.m., going until 5 p.m., he said.

The institute has eight chapters in Washington, Montana, Oregon and Idaho and another chapter from Soap Lake is being created. The group's been meeting for months and is to be called the Lower Grand Coulee Chapter.

"Our chapter, we formed and then the meeting on the seventh on Friday, the seventh will confirm our group as an official chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute."

Moody said the initial meeting of the Soap Lake chapter, in March, was an informational meeting to discover the level of interest in it.

Anyone interested in the institute or going on a field trip can learn more by visiting the group's Web site at www.iafi.org, Moody said.