MOSES LAKE

city, Grant county, central Washington, U.S., situated on the northeast shore of Moses Lake. The town was settled in 1897 and was laid out in 1910 as Neppel; it was incorporated in 1938 and renamed for the Indian chief Moses. Located in the Columbia Basin, the city serves as the trade centre of an irrigated farm region producing sugar beets, alfalfa, cereals, potatoes, and livestock. The impounded waters of Grand Coulee Dam (60 mi north) have raised the water table and created numerous lakes. Tourism, based on Moses Lake Recreation Area (including Potholes Reservoir) and food processing are the main economic factors. Nearby Larson Air Force Base (194366) has been developed as an industrial park. Moses Lake is the home of Big Bend Community College (1962). Pop. (1990) 11,235.