May I introduce myself to you? I am a Washington State designated scenic byway known for my history and my unique basalt rock and desert landscape. In 1997, my residents used a grant from the Federal Highways Administration National Scenic Byways Program to develop a Corridor Management Plan (CMP), and help byway communities tell my stories to the traveler. This grant was the spark that ignited the people of the Coulee Corridor to become active stewards of all my natural and historic features. They first formed a byway organization [the Coulee Corridor Consortium - CCC which became a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation] and began developing and implementing projects needed to tell my stories. Since 1999 the CCC has steadfastly pushed forward with promoting, protecting and preserving me, by gaining community and tribal support at occasions like the “Big Event”, a dinner gathering held annually in late January to showcase some of my fascinating stories.

To many, “Coulee” is a strange and unfamiliar word. Let me clarify; coulee (koo'lee) is a French word meaning dry riverbed or canyon. Some of my earliest European explorers were French Canadian fur trappers, and when they came upon my central natural feature, a fifty mile long, one thousand foot deep, two to five mile wide dry canyon with shear basalt walls, they named it the “Grand Coulee.” The “Corridor” part refers to the historical routes and trails, and modern day highway. This corridor has been used as a pathway of trade, freight and exploration for many centuries, and continues those uses today.

Today my corridor is defined as I traverse state highways SR 17, US 2, and SR 155, some one hundred fifty miles, from the City of Connell on the south to the City of Omak on the north. Ironic, although my French name means dry, my dominant resource has been water. It shaped my landscape during some of the most massive Floods on the earth and has threaded its way through all the events of my history. The Ice Age Floods of 17,000 to 11,000 years ago carved out a pathway for the humans that followed, beginning thousands of years ago with Indian tribes, and followed by the more recent diverse European settlers of the 1800s, and the explorers of today. As humans began to till the soil, and the dreamers of grand developments, built the Grand Coulee Dam, the area has transformed to one of bountiful agricultural production in a stark desert climate.

Today more than ever tourists continue to travel my roads to appreciate the unique basalt formations left by the ancient waters of the Ice Age Floods. They come to see a landscape with a kaleidoscope of stories and attributes, told by the people who are the spice and essence of who I am. From the Native American stories passed from generation to generation, to the journals of European explorers and immigrants who have settled upon my land, I am a multitude of rich historical perspectives set upon inspiring scenic vistas. I offer endless opportunities to recreate and enjoy the unique natural world enclosing my thin sinew of asphalt.

Most of all it is the people stretched across the backbone of my frame reaching across this storied landscape, which have created “The Coulee Corridor” scenic byway. Today's explorers of “The Coulee Corridor” come with an excitement and an eagerness to learn, discover and enjoy what and who I am. My visitors add their stories to my legacy returning home to encourage others to come and experience the unique landscape I have to offer.