Coulee

A coulee (or coul?e) is a deep steep-sided ravine formed by erosion, commonly found in the northwestern United States and southwestern Canada. Most coulees were originally formed during the rapid melting of the glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Some coulees are dry for most of the year; others may contain small streams. The loose rocks at the base of the wall form what are called scree slopes. These are formed when chunks of the canyon wall give way in a rockslide. Coulees provide shelter from wind and concentrated water supplies to plants which would otherwise have a hard time surviving in the sagebrush steppe. Trees are often found next to streams in coulees and at the base of their walls.

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The word coulee comes from the French Canadian coul?e, from French word couler meaning "to flow".

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The term is often used interchangeably in the Great Plains for any number of water features, from ponds to creeks.

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An alternate meaning for this term exists in southern Louisiana where it identifies a large, paved channel for water runoff.

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United States: :For other uses, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation)....

Glacier: :This article is about the geographical formation. For the professional wrestler, see Ray Lloyd...

Ice age: An ice age is a period of long-term downturn in the temperature of Earth's climate, resulting in an expansion of the continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers ("glaciation"). Glaciologically, ice age is often used to mean a period of ice sheets in the northern and southern hemis...