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.

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. Sudden intense rainfall upstream may produce flash floods in the bed of the gulch.

Witches Gulch found in the Dells of the Wisconsin River

In eastern Canada, gulch refers to:

See also

  • Arroyo– Dry watercourse with flow after rain
  • Canyon– Deep chasm between cliffs, includes gorge.
  • Chine– Steep-sided coastal gorge in central southern England
  • 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– Hydrological feature
  • Draw (terrain)– Long area of downward-sloping low ground