Gulch

For other uses, see Gulch (disambiguation).

A gulch is a deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion. It may contain a small stream or dry creek bed and is usually larger in size than a gully.^[1] Sudden intense rainfall upstream may produce flash floods in the bed of the gulch.

Witches Gulch found in the Dells of the Wisconsin River

A dry gulch in the desert near Tamchy, Kyrgyzstan. The creek that may have run along the bottom of the gulch in the past has been diverted to a parallel aryk.

In eastern Canada, gulch refers to:^[2]

• a narrow deep cove (Newfoundland)
• a narrow saltwater channel (Nova Scotia)

See also

• Arroyo – Dry watercourse with flow after rain
• Canyon – Deep chasm between cliffs, includes gorge.
• Dale (landform) – Open valley
• Coulee – Type of valley or drainage zone
• Gully – Landform created by running water and/or mass movement eroding sharply into soil
• Ravine – Small valley, often due to stream erosion
• Valley – Low area between hills, often with a river running through it
• Wadi – River valley, especially a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain
• Draw (terrain) – Terrain feature formed by two parallel ridges or spurs with low ground in between

References

1. "Dictionary of geological terms". American Geological Institute. 1976. p. 199. a small revine; a small swallow cayon with smoothly included slopes and steep sides. Local in Far West
2. "Gulch". Interesting and curious generic terms used in Canada. Natural Resources Canada. Archived from the original on 26 September 2011. Retrieved 8 April 2013.