Digital-Desert : Mojave Desert
Intro:: Nature:: Map:: Parks:: Points of Interest:: Ghosts & Gold:: Communities:: Roads & Trails:: People & History:: BLOG:: Weather:: :?:: glossary
Joshua Tree National Park > Nature Trail > Indian Cove

Desert Wash

click the photo to continue

Desert wash

A wash results when fast-moving water from flash floods fills low-lying channels on the desert floor. The scouring action of sand, rocks, and plant debris carried by the water cuts a meandering path, or wash. A desert wash is usually dry but will fill quickly with runoff during heavy rains.

Moisture is retained longer in washes so the vegetation is greener and more abundant than in the surrounding desert. Trees such as palo verde (Cercidium floridium), and smoke tree (Psorothamnus spinosus), often grow in or near washes. Their hard seeds need the scouring action of rushing, churning water to crack and germinate.

< Previous - Next >

Also see:
Desert Wash Habitat
Geology - Stream Channel Formation
Intro:: Nature:: Map:: Parks:: Points of Interest:: Ghosts & Gold:: Communities:: Roads & Trails:: People & History:: BLOG:: Weather:: :?:: glossary
Digital-Desert : Mojave Desert
Country Life Realty
Wrightwood, Ca. 		Mountain Hardware
Wrightwood, Ca. 		Canyon Cartography
 G.A. Mercantile


 Grizzly Cafe
Family Dining

Abraxas Engineering
privacy
Disclaimer: Some portions of this project were developed with assistance from AI tools to help reconstruct historical contexts and fill informational gaps. All materials have been reviewed and fact-checked to ensure accuracy and reliability, though complete precision cannot be guaranteed. The aim is to provide dependable starting points and distinctive perspectives for further study, exploration, and research.

These materials are historical in nature and intended for educational use only; they are not designed as travel guides or planning resources.
Copyright - Walter Feller. 1995-2025. All rights reserved.