Missoula Floods 3-minute video + education resources - just released and SO GREAT!
Teresa Matteson
From: Bartling, Samantha <samantha...@fws.gov>
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2026 11:33 AM
To: Bartling, Samantha <samantha...@fws.gov>
Subject: Missoula Floods 3-minute video + education resources - just released and SO GREAT!
Hi, all,
I'm interrupting your day for a very, very awesome reason 🙂
I know you all tell glacial erratic and Missoula Flood stories, too. There is new animation out that recreates the flood on a landscape level and it's animated. Did you know the ice dam broke maybe 100 times? I thought it was much less.
Anyway, had to share:
Today, the National Park Service and the Ice Age Floods Institute are pleased to share a new Ice Age Floods animation that brings the Missoula Floods to life.
For the first time, this animation shows—at a system-wide scale—how enormous Ice Age floods repeatedly reshaped the Pacific Northwest. Using decades of scientific research, the animation illustrates how floodwaters carved landscapes, transported massive boulders, and transformed the region into the places we recognize today.
Developed through close collaboration among scientists, educators, and regional partners, the animation is designed to support learning and interpretation in parks, museums, classrooms, and community settings. It helps connect the dramatic geologic story of the Missoula Floods with real places people can visit across the region.
👉 Explore the animation on NPS.gov:
Ice
Age Floods Animation - Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail (U.S. National Park Service)
The animation is free to explore, share, and use, and we invite you to help spread the word. To learn more about the collaboration behind this work and how it supports education and interpretation, you can also read the companion article featured with the Ice Age Floods Institute:
👉 Telling the Story of the Missoula Floods
https://iafi.org/telling-the-story-of-the-missoula-floods/
Cheers to all you do!
Sam
***** ~~~~ ******
Samantha Bartling (she/her/ella) / Visitor Services Manager
Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Ankeny, William L. Finley (+ Snag Boat Bend Unit), Baskett Slough and the Willamette Valley Conservation Area
Cell: 541-760-3036
The Ankeny Hill Nature Center is an amazing nature discovery place - visit anytime from dawn to dusk!
