Zoomable Art: The Desert Realm

Except in the case of large rivers, such as the Nile or the Colorado, which bring water into a desert region from a more temperate region, streams in deserts fill with water only after heavy rains. At other times, the stream channels are dry. These channels are called dry washes, arroyos, or wadis. For more information, see Geology at a Glance: The Desert Realm on pp. 462-463 in your textbook.