arroyos
Dry southwestern gullies
Arroyos is the plural of arroyo, a dry creek bed or gulch that fills with water only after heavy rain.
The term comes from Spanish and is used primarily in the American Southwest and Mexico, where such seasonal watercourses are common features of the arid landscape: Flash floods turned the arroyos into raging torrents.
Channels carved by erosion
- washesCleans using water
- canyonsDeep, narrow valleys
- ravinesSteep-sided narrow valleys
- channelsPaths for transmission
drainages · draws · coulees · wadis · streambeds · valleys · gorges · cuts
Swift, unexpected water surges
- runoffExcess water drainage
- seasonalRecurring at fixed intervals
- ephemeralLasting very briefly
- intermittentOccurring at irregular intervals
monsoon · thunderstorm · drainage · watershed · flooding · torrent · deluge · desert rain
Relating to riverbanks
- cottonwoodFluffy-seeded deciduous tree
- mesquiteThorny desert legume
- sagebrushAromatic arid-land shrub
- wildlife corridorStrip connecting fragmented habitats
habitat · desert vegetation · willows · tamarisk · yucca · prickly pear · jackrabbit · roadrunner
gullies
Channels carved by erosion
channels · drainages · draws · coulees · wadis · streambeds · valleys · gorges · cuts · defiles
flash floods
Swift, unexpected water surges
intermittent · monsoon · thunderstorm · drainage · watershed · flooding · torrent · deluge · desert rain · cloudburst
riparian
Relating to riverbanks
- cottonwoodFluffy-seeded deciduous tree
- mesquiteThorny desert legume
- sagebrushAromatic arid-land shrub
wildlife corridor · habitat · desert vegetation · willows · tamarisk · yucca · prickly pear · jackrabbit · roadrunner · coyote
- desert thingssand, cactus, cacti, camel, dune
- off-roadingoff-road, 4x4s, ATVs, 4WD, four-wheel drive
- Southwestmesa, Monument Valley, Arizona, New Mexico, Grand Canyon
- valleysdales, alpine valley, canyon, vales, glacial valley
- Chihuahuan Desertmesquite, yucca, prickly pear, javelina, roadrunner
- Colorado DesertCoachella Valley, Colorado River, cholla, barrel cactus, bighorn sheep