Grand Coulee at the higher side of the flexure. Encountering the steep slope of the monocline, the new river would have cascaded off the rim, down onto a broad plain where Coulee City and Dry Falls State Park now stand. Upper Grand Coulee began as an cascade just north of Coulee City. As the rush of water eroded the surface, it steepened into a waterfall. The falls continued to erode backward (northward) creating the canyon. When the falls reached the divide into Lake Columbia, i.e., preglacial Columbia Valley, it disappeared, leaving the elongated notch. Today, the waters of the Lake Roosevelt are
Grand Coulee Dam and during construction, workers and engineers experienced problems. Contracts for companies to construct the various parts of the dam were difficult to award as few companies were sizable enough to fill them. This forced companies to consolidate. In addition, Native American graves had to be relocated and temporary fish ladders had to be constructed. During construction additional problems included landslides and the need to protect newly poured concrete from freezing. Construction on the downstream Grand Coulee Bridge began in and more considerable earth-moving began in August. Excavation for the dam's foundation required the removal of of dirt and stone. To