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Moses Lake

Washington, United States
Also known as: Neppel
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

News •

Weather alert affecting Moses Lake area and Waterville Plateau until Thursday midday • Nov. 5, 2026, 11:50 AM ET (The Tacoma News Tribune)
Weather alert affecting Moses Lake area and Upper Columbia Basin until Tuesday midday • Oct. 27, 2026, 11:50 AM ET (The Tacoma News Tribune)

Moses Lake, city, Grant county, central Washington, U.S., situated on the northeast shore of Moses Lake. Located on a traditional hunting and fishing ground, the town was settled in 1897 and was laid out in 1910 as Neppel; in 1938 it was renamed for the Columbia-Sinkiuse Indian leader Moses. Located in the Columbia River basin, the city serves as the trade centre of an irrigated farm region producing sugar beets, alfalfa, cereals, potatoes, and livestock. The waters impounded by Grand Coulee Dam (60 miles [100 km] north) raised the water table and created numerous lakes. Tourism, based on Moses Lake and Potholes state parks (including Potholes Reservoir), and food processing are the main economic factors. Nearby Larson Air Force Base (1943–66) has been developed as an industrial park, the Port of Moses Lake; the airfield, now Grant County International Airport, is used for flight training and aircraft testing. Moses Lake is the home of Big Bend Community College (1962). Inc. 1938. Pop. (2000) 14,953; (2010) 20,366.

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