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["Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

Moses Lake is also a geologically interesting area.  

Huge lava flows formed several layers of the Columbia River Plateau.  Layers
of lava lie over layers of ash and are covered by layers of wind blown soil.

Moses Coulee is one of the great falls of Glacial Lake Columbia.  The area
is on the edge of part of what is called The Channeled Scablands.  Glaciers
blocked the Columbia, Clark Fork, and other rivers forming immense lakes.
As the glaciers receded water pressure broke the dams and huge flows of
water from the draining lakes scrubbed the soul and into the Basalt forming
the Channeled Scab Lands.

South of Spokane lies the Palouse country.  This area has the same under
pinning as the scablands but was not washed clear so it in now one of the
best producing wheatland in the world with soil many feet deep in places.

Moses Lake itself started as a small lake on Crab Creek and was dammed in
the early part of the century for irrigation.  The lake was later extended
as part of the Columbia River Project at Grand Coulee.

The area is primarily farming.  The ex military airfield has been used for
flight training and test flights and there was a scheduled airline stop.  In
the late 70s the Sugar Beet processing plant closed throwing the area into a
decline.  Last time I was through there were Apple orchards, Potato fields,
and corn.

It is green only after the winter rains then only where irrigated.  It is
about 40 miles west of Ritzville, the area of highest depth of ash from the
Mt St Helens eruption.

Don Bowen  KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html