Arroyo (watercourse)

An arroyo (/əˈrɔɪoʊ/), from Spanish arroyo (Spanish: [aˈroʝo], "brook"), also called a wash, is a dry watercourse that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Flash floods are common in arroyos following thunderstorms.

For other uses, see Arroyo (disambiguation).

Similar landforms are referred to as wadi (in North Africa and Western Asia), rambla in Spain, chapp in the Gobi, laagate in the Kalahari, donga in South Africa, nullah in India, fiumare in Italy, and dry valley in England.

The desert dry wash biome is restricted to the arroyos of the southwestern United States. Arroyos provide a water source to desert animals.

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