154 BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 
visit to the lake at the same place shows that the water has risen sev- 
eral feet higher in the lake, to the eaves of the log house in Plate XLII. 
This seems to prove the statement made relative to the closure of 
the underground channel. If the lake continues to rise from year to 
year the results may be disastrous, as it may overflow the bank at some 
point, doing much damage. 
Echo lake has not received extensive study, and offers a very prom- 
ising field for a summer’s work for some one who wishes to undertake it. 
There are morainal hills a hundred feet or more in height between 
the lake and Flathead river. Ranchers, in digging wells, pass through 
alternate layers of sand and gravel containing water. The indications 
point to the existence of this sand and gravel from Echo lake to or near 
to Flathead river. 
The canyons in the mountain sides to the east of Echo lake show dis- 
tinct evidences of glaciation, leading from the slopes down into the valley. 
These various smaller glaciers from the west side of the Swan range and 
from the east side of the Mission range merged into one large glacier, 
which must have pushed down (northward) the Swan river valley. In 
Plate XXXVII the movement would be from left to right. At the same 
time a much larger ice mass was moving down the valley of the Flathead 
river and across Flathead lake. Evidences of this ice mass exist about 
Kalispell, along the shores of Flathead lake, and in the Mission valley 
to the south of Flathead lake. At the foot of Flathead lake the large and 
distinct moraine stretches from the Mission mountains on the east across 
the end of the lake to the Cabinents on the west, decreasing toward the 
west, and cut by the outlet of Flathead lake. As the ice river from 
Swan river valley moved northward it was met, almost at right angles, 
by the larger ice sheet covering the Flathead valley. The place of 
meeting should be the valley shown in the middle of Plate XXXVII. 
The Mission range ends as such in the low hills south and west of 
Echo lake, in the immediate vicinity of the Biological laboratory. These 
hills may be seen in Plate XXXVII to the left and immediately in front 
of Flathead lake. This northern end shows distinct evidences of glacial 
tion. Large boulders, with abundant and deep striations lie at or near 
the summits. 
The contour of the land indicates that Swan river formely had its 
course northward, instead of turning to the west as is now the case. 
When the river and valley were filled with ice, meeting the larger ice 
mass, the larger mass caused a deflection of the smaller (Swan river 
valley) mass causing it to pile upon and flow over the lower slopes of the 
Mission range. This deflection probably aided in carving the present 
channel of Swan river, where it makes an abrupt turn and passes through 
a short and steep uescent to the lake. 
The retreat of the main ice sheet was probably more rapid than that 
of the Swan river valley mass, owing to the close proximity of mountain 
ranges feeding the latter. The result was a morainal deposit at what 
should be the surface outlet and what is the underground outlet, of Echo 
lake. Echo lake therefore appears to be either a portion of the old river 
bed, or a depression left in the morainal mass by the retreat of the ice. 
