A deep ravine or gulch, typically dry except during heavy rains, formed by water erosion in arid regions. Common in the western United States, these steep-sided valleys were carved by intermittent streams.
From French 'couler' meaning 'to flow,' originally used by French explorers in North America. The term was adopted into American English in the 19th century to describe the distinctive dry valleys of the Great Plains and western regions.
The Grand Coulee in Washington State is a massive example - this ancient riverbed is 50 miles long and up to 900 feet deep, carved by catastrophic floods when ice dams broke during the last Ice Age! Today it houses the Grand Coulee Dam, turning this geological scar into a powerhouse of hydroelectric energy.
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