Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature Review:

Arroyo Flooding at UTEP

Frederic Williams

University of Texas El Paso

RWS 1302

Dr. Vierra

July 25, 2018

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Abstract

UTEPs campus isn’t just your regular college campus. It come with many interesting

features that are often over looked. UTEPs arroyos plays a big role on campus which is ore then

just an overly grown vegetation, but it is a key factor in UTEPs flood control/prevention. Many

people don’t even know what an arroyo is, even though you see and pass by it all the time. With

El Paso’s climate and location arroyos are just about the only route for flood water to travel.
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Literature Review:

Arroyo flooding at UTEP Formatted: Highlight

Arroyo is often referred to as a steep sided gully or channels in arid areas as a result of

flash floods. These dry channels often flood after a storm, which provides a water source for the

plants and animals surrounds the arroyo. Since 2000, studies on arroyo flooding in the shed new

light on their usages in the US-Mexico border area, including UTEP, which previous studies had

not addressed.

Throughout this literature review I will be showing how important Arroyo are the UTEPs

campus and how the arroyos pay a bigger roll then you would expect. I will be answering the

following research questions to help express my beliefs.

• When did the buildings surrounding the crazy cat arroyo first start experiencing

flooding? Commented [VP1]: Your research questions do not really

allow exploration of the topic.

• According to an article in The Prospector (2013), Ten Eyck suggests new arroyo

that will be connected to existing arroyos to allow rain water to soak into the

ground instead of running off quickly

• Was the campus master plan drafted with the U.S. Green Building Councils

LEED rating system in mind?

• How does the campus transformation reduce the water demand? Reduce energy

consumption? Navigate runoff?

• How does UTEP’s arroyos connect with the city’s arroyos

Discussion of Research
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What is Arroyo Flooding?

Arroyo flooding is when a dry creek or channel floods after receiving heavy flows of rain

water. Arroyos could me made naturally or built by man, according to Benjamin (2017). Commented [VP2]: This paper starts off well as do many of
your paragraphs. However, the conversations with sources
just seem to fade away. This would be a model paragraph if
Naturally arroyos are made through the fluvial process by the motions of sediments deposition or it included in-text citations.

erosion. Arroyos could also be referred to landscape that are sloped with vertical walls in a desert

climate or very dry areas. Arroyos sometimes have walls cut deep into the deserts floor. Flash

floods cause many things such as deposits of sediments on the floored lands or even forming

some deep cut arroyo [figure 2]. Arroyos play a big role in cities drainage systems. Arroyo

creates a way for flood waters to travel instead of letting the waters build up creating a bigger

problem. Natural arroyos are typically form in dry arid regions like El Paso. Some rivers that are

only active during certain seasons and dry up over time eventually forming and arroyo. Arroyos

could also be man-made; these arroyos are used as flood control during

When a dry channel receives more rainfall then it is used to. According to Brandon J.

Vogt (2018), an arroyo is basically a stream with high walls that could cut as deep as 20 meters

into the floor, could be as wide as 50 meters, and could go for miles. Arroyos are most common

in arid areas typically in the southwest. Vogt stated that The rapid widening and deepening of

arroyos have both changed the physical environment and been a costly nuisance in the west since

settlement began in the mid 1800's. Heavy rain fall could cause arroyos, even though back in the

1800s climate records were not kept track of studies have found evidence of heavy unusual

rainfall in Tucson, Arizona. Also, with settlement in the west alley floors were used animals and

eventually became overgrazed. With the vegetation being so fragile it makes the land easy for

erosion and eventually began to form arroyo. Another way arroyo was formed involves external

force and unexpected climate change as triggering the mechanism for incision.
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A seasonal fluvial that receives a large amount of rainfall and floods is often referred to

as an arroyo. Sediment and erosion caused by steep walled river trenches are commonly called

arroyos. According to Waters, M. R. (1991) gullies and arroyos are dry most of the year until it

receives rainfall, these arroyos only flood and flow for only a few hours. Each time and arroyo

floods it is changes, usually making the gully/arroyo to get deeper or wider. During the late

1800s and early 1900s there was a period of channels incision commencement through the south

- western region of the United States. Many of the channels that were formed then are still

continuing to incise, mostly all of them have widened.

How is arroyo flooding prevented a UTEP?

There were a few construction projects that took place to help the flow of flood water at

Don Haskins. According to Daniel (2007) after the storm of 2006, the draining systems needed

to be repaired. The storm of 2006 received more rain fall than expected. Causing the draining

system to over flow and not work properly causing a flood on campus in front of the Don

Haskins buildings. Daniel noted that there were about 37 repair projects and 10 reconstruction

projects in action to repair the damages from the storm. UTEP was granted 25 million to go

towards repairs to the draining system due to flood water from the storms. Flood control isn’t

really paid attention to as much as it should. Just think about how often you think about flood

control. Flood control matters because without it there wouldn’t be a way for water to flow and it

will just build up and continue to flood.

Channels have been built the help with the flow of rainwaters. If UTEP receives more

rainfall, then expected the arroyos could flood the campus. Arroyos are designed to create a way

for flood water to maneuver to avoid flash floods. Believe it or not arroyos are a key asset in
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make draining systems. After every rain event there is a crew that goes out to make sure that the

ran waters were control properly. There are a few little catch basins around campus to catch

runoff waters coming from the mountains to prevent over flooding.

How does the campus transformation reduce the water demand?

The use of rocks instead of grass was a very smart idea to use. The plants that are used on

campus does not require much water. UTEPs garden is home to more the 800 species of plants

throughout campus as shown in [figure 1]. These plants are native plants or plants that have

adapted to the Chihuahua desert. All around campus these are plants like according to Perez

(2015) the 80 shade trees, 300 shrubs and vines, and 40 grasses were hand selected because of

their ability to live in dry climates such as El Paso’s climate. Meaning these plants will live even

though they do not receive that much water compared to other types of plants

Primary Research

How is UTEP Vulnerable to Arroyo Flooding?

With the landscape of campus, it is designed to help with flooding’s. UTEPs campus is

equipped with many small arroyos throughout campus. If you were to take a walk-through

campus you will see many deserts plants and arroyos location all over campus. UTEPs arroyo are

involved in UTEPs Master plan of 2011. These arroyos on campus are just a portion of the

regional draining system of El Paso that just so happens to run right through campus. The

arroyos on campus range from Steep banks with some wild vegetation while some have been

transformed into a quasi-urban, quasi-industrial water course.

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When arroyos fail to work properly UTEP campus is at risk of flooding According to

UTEPs Master plan the arroyo is mostly dry, but substantial water flows are frequent and high

flood waters could flood out some on UTEPs buildings. Sudden rainfalls in a dry area could go

bad quickly. A dry ground mean that the ground will not absorb the water fast enough which will

lead to a flash flood. With the arroyos on campus being in a dry climate region this puts UTEP at

risk of flash flooding in their arroyos. There have been many cases throughout the world where

and arroyo or channel

If UTEP receives more rainfall, then expected the arroyos could flood the campus.

According to Burnett (2008) no part of Texas is immune to flash flood, just about every parts of

Texas is bound to experience some type of flooding, due to its climate. Burnett found that flash

floods could change the landscape of an arid area. With UTEPs location, it puts campus at risk of

flooding depending on the forecast. According to Greg McNicol from our interview, UTEPs

campus is structed so well that centennial plaza collects more of the rainwater that falls. Campus

was remodeled to help better the flood control on campus. He stated that the centennial plaza

area is designed to control flood water in a controlled manner.

Conclusion

In conclusion Arroyos are very fascinating at the end of the day. Even though it might not

be the prettiest landscape to flood at it still is beautiful in its own way. UTEPS arroyo is a part of

the City of El Paso drainage systems

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Reference

Benjamin, E. (2017). What is an arroyo? World Atlas,

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Appendix A: Images

Figure 1

Figure 2
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Appendix B: Interview Questions

• Add Enid’s interview questions here. When did the buildings surrounding the

crazy cat arroyofirst start experiencing flooding?

• According to an article in The Prospector (2013), Ten Eyck suggests new arroyo

that will be connected to existing arroyos to allow rain water to soak into the

ground instead of running off quickly

• Was the campus master plan drafted with the U.S. Green Building Councils

LEED rating system in mind?

• How does the campus transformation reduce the water demand? Reduce energy

consumption? Navigate runoff?

• How does UTEP’s arroyos connect with the city’s arroyos?