BULLETIN OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 



Vol. 34, pp. 573-608 SEPTEMBER SO, 1923 



GLACIAL DEAINAGE ON THE COLUMBIA PLATEAU ^ 



BY J. HAELEN BRETZ 



{Presented before the Society December 30, 1928) 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 578 



Topography and drainage ^ 575 



Stratigraphy 576 



Physiography : 577 



Glaciation 580 



The Spoliane glaciation 580 



General statement i 580 



Spokane River and Palouse River drainage 581 



Vicinity of Spokane 581 



Vicinity of Spangle 583 



Vicinity of Cheney , 585 



Vicinity of Lamont 586 



Vicinity of Kahlotus 587 



Vicinity of Sprague 587 



Crab Creek drainage 588 



General statement 588 



Grand Coulee 591 



Hartline structural valley 593 



Quincy Valley or Basin 594 



Moses Coulee ., 600 



The Wisconsin glaciation , 602 



Discussion 608 



Introduction 



Only the northern part of the Columbia Plateau is concerned in this 

 study and only waters from the Cordilleran ice-sheet. Two glacial 

 epochs are involved — one the Wisconsin, the other as yet undated. Be- 

 sides contributing to the geological history of the region, this article 

 endeavors to show that glacier-born streams, under proper conditions, 

 are erosive agents of great vigor over large tracts far from the front of 

 the melting ice. 



^ Manuscript received by tlie Secretary of the Society January 10, 1923. 



(573) 



