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Astronomy Roadshow Observatory Project in Apache County, Arizona, USA
All the temporary rivers lead toward the Zuni Rim (Rattlesnake Canyon) to the south. It then sinks down to the water table some 120ft below.
floodplain
Two sections of the plot does become a floodplain at certain seasonal times. Although this hasn't occurred for several years, it does affect building plans and has to be taken into account.
Two temporary rivers around 30 feet wide flow on a winding course across the land and makes the soil more fertile for certain grasses and other plants. The path of both rivers are predictable, the water only becomes a few inches deep and is slow flowing. Nothing gets washed away. We did loose a little sleep over this news until we realised the entire region suffers the same. We accepted that humans are the intruders here and should adapt to the conditions.