An arroyo is a dry creek bed or gulch that fills with water either seasonally, or after a heavy rain. As such, the term is similar to the word wadi. Arroyos can be natural or man-made. The primary meaning of stream is a body of water, confined within a bed and banks and having a detectable current. ... A gulch is a deep V-shaped valley formed by erosion. ... Water (from the Old English word wæter; c. ... Rain falling For other uses see Rain (disambiguation). ... A wadi is a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain. ...

A good example of man-made arroyos can be found in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There are several miles of open-air concrete drainage channels that eventually drain into the main tributary along I-40 and into a cistern, where the runoff becomes part of the city's water supply. Because of the danger of flash flooding signs are posted, warning people to keep out, but deaths and injuries are a yearly occurrence. Graffiti artists regularly deface the arroyos and there has been a big push to curtail their activities. Downtown Albuquerque Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. ... INTERSTATE JUNCTIONS JUNCTION EXIT # I-15 CA 0 I-17 AZ 195 I-25 NM 159 I-44 OK 147 I-35 OK 150-152 I-30 AR 153 I-55 AR 277-279 I-65 TN 210-211 I-75 TN 368-385 I-81 TN 421 I-26... A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, box, from Greek kistê, basket) is a receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. ... Flash flooding is rapid flooding of low-lying areas, rivers and creeks that is caused by the intense rainfall associated with a thunderstorm, or multiple training thunderstorms. ... Graffiti on the banks of the Tiber river in Rome, Italy. ...

Man-made arroyos pose a problem for farmers. In areas marginally suited for agriculture, farmers often rely on channels and ditches for the distribution of water. Flash flooding can cause the cutting of deep arroyos. This lowers the groundwater level of the surrounding area, making it unsuitable for agriculture.

Although not technically an arroyo, the Los Angeles River is a more famous example of this open drainage system. The Los Angeles River, highlighted in red (on the left). ...