ARROYO

An Arroyo, also known as a wash, or creekbed, is a type of naturally occuring variation in elevation, shape, size, position and elemental content of Earths solid surface, referred to as a Landform. Arroyos often occur in desert environments similar to the area surrounding Pioneertown.

Many scientific disciplines use the vast lexicon of Landform terms, which are often arranged by the processes which form them. Arroyos are considerd to be Fluvial Landforms, meaning they are influenced by water. The primary forces at work in the makeup of Fluvial activities are Erosion, where water or wind transports matieral from one location to another, or Deposition, in which material is added to a landform. Some other well known Fluvial Landforms include Cave, Cliff, Canyon, River, Spring, Stream, Swamp, and Valley. Multiple landforms in association are referred to as Terrain.

Streams, rivers, and other natural paths in which waters flow, whether intermittent or constant, are termed Watercourses. An Arroyo described is a fluvial landform watercourse, which seasonally fills with precipitation and flows after enough moisture accumulation. They are especially active during desert flash floods. Plants competing in Arroyo locations must be specially adapted to endure inconsistant cycles of long arid spans, followed by flooding events, which require a crucial period of re-establishment thereafter. 

In the dirt and clay they settle, plant and ant day test their mettle, undisturbed sit snake and bird, until the sound of waters heard.