You may not know it but we are blessed to live in an amazing area! Because of geologic forces, floods and deposits, we have some wonderful areas to hike!
Here’s Some Basic Information on Our Local Geology
We actually live in the “Channeled Scablands”. Years ago, massive floodwaters scoured through the Columbia Basin and beyond after a huge ice dam gave way. The dam, near present day Missoula, Montana held back Lake Missoula. The water was so powerful, it gouged out the basalt of our area, leaving “channels” and “scabs” and Lake Lewis covering the Tri-Cities area with over 1000′ of water.
Bird on Lake Lewis Marker on The Badger Mountain Canyon Trail
The floods left large boulders of Montana granite and other non-indigenous rocks stranded around our area. These rocks are called erratics. To see a story about one of the largest erratics in our area, click this link.
Montana Granite Deposited Near Wallula Gap During the Lake Missoula Floods
Look closely and you’ll see erratics like this scattered across the Columbia Basin.
If you’d like more information about our local geologic history, check out these links: