The Spectacular Yet Somewhat Forgotten Bonneville Flood

Presented by Shawn Willsey
Distinguished Geology Professor
College of Southern Idaho
Largely overshadowed and understudied compared to the more popular Missoula Floods of the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Flood boldly inscribed record of its dramatic passage on the stark landscapes of southern and western Idaho. The flood’s story begins with immense Lake Bonneville during the cooler and wetter climatic regime of the Pleistocene. The combination of climatic factors as well as integration of a major river into the lake set the stage for the subsequent flood. Once released, the sheer power and energy of the flood created a host of erosional and depositional features from southeastern Idaho all the way to its confluence with the Columbia River. Join geology professor and author Shawn Willsey as he explores ancient Lake Bonneville and the path of its namesake flood.