Running head: GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 1

Global Issues Report:

Arroyos effect on vegetation

Branden Montero

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

October 29, 2018

GLOBAL ISSUES REPORT 2

Abstract

In this research paper it goes over the effect of the arroyos and how they can both affect

the vegetation of them or not. Throughout the discussion portion there is several different factors

that affect the vegetation. At the end of the paper there are examples that provide examples of the

water effect on arroyos.

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Arroyos effect on vegetation

These arroyos can affect the growth. Arroyos are naturally made by the run-off water that

comes down from the mountains. The problem was that we didn’t know how or ways that

arroyos affected vegetation in the area. It is important to know this because it can allow us to

figure out how it can affect our community. Arroyos can affect the growth of vegetation.

Discussion

Arroyos can help the growth of vegetation as the flooding can help to get rid of some of

the useless waste. According to Smith and Goodrich (2005) the flooding can push out any debris

that can be blocking the growth (p. 32). After the flooding begins to dwindle the end results of

the current debris are lowered by half. This proves that Armandina (2005) states that mountain

streams that come down from the mountain. Push amounts of water that are strong enough to get

rid of waste.

Arroyos can stop the growth of vegetation through over flooding in the area. According

to Smith and Goodrich (2005) flooding can over flood the soil stopping it from growing. This

shows that the water takes the roots out of the plants killing them. This shows that Armandina

(2005) Mountainous streams that are in the mountain always overflood. Because the area in the

mountain that the streams are in are very tight. This causes flooding to happen very often. This

water runoff then will run into these nearby arroyos flooding. When the water goes into these

arroyos from the mountains. The plants begin to receive too much water. When the plants get too

much water they begin to die because they drown.

Where the arroyos are located can change the way these plants grow. According to Zhang

(2004) nutrients began to get lost in the soil because it is so fine that is washes away. This shows

that where the arroyos are located that depending on how the soil is it can make it harder for
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plants to grow through these. This shows that Klima’s (2015) studied the soil in various countries

to see the effect on water runoff in the soil. He found that the looser soil tended to not hold water

as well, so the water just runs through it. This doesn’t allow the plants to grow as easily as the

water doesn’t stay there long enough for them to complete the process.

The type of soil can affect the way that plant life grows in these arroyos. According to

Zhang (2004) plants need certain elements for the plants to grow. However, some plants don’t

get these from the arroyos. This shows arroyos have different types of soil some being really

rough due to the rocks or some being really soft sand. According to Klima’s (2015) Places that

are in more mountainous areas. The arroyos tend to hold water a little better. The reason is

because the soil is a little thicker and contains rocks in the areas. Both of these factors help to

retain the water. Allowing the plants to have a good source of water to allow them to fully grow.

Arroyos can affect the vegetation for farmers. According to Bloodworth (2010) if these

arroyos don’t fill up with water the irrigation that is used by farmers is not able to be used. This

shows that these arroyos sometimes help to feed into the irrigation for the canal. Based on the

evidence provided by Evans (2016) Even though the earth may be made up of more ¾ water

there are certain areas that still struggle to have it. Farmers need getting there irrigation more

than twice a year. Irrigation is used to help fill the crops in their area the water is usually released

from the nearby irrigation canals. Which are filled by the nearby rivers. This is why it is

important that these arroyos fill up for these farmers.

The things that are thrown into these arroyos can affect the growth of the plant life.

According to the prospector (1972) people dump things in these arroyos that poison the plant

life. This shows that the garbage that people put into these arroyos stop the growth. This shows

Evans (2016) effect on chemicals there dumped into these arroyos affect not only the vegetation
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that grows in them but the vegetation that grows around them. Many nearby facilities and

companies conduct illegal dumping but putting their chemicals into any nearby arroyos.

However, many farmers use these nearby arroyos for their crops to grow. So once these canals

are contaminated by this pollution. Their crops will begin to die off due to the poison that gets

into their roots and soil.

Many people wanted to build things in these arroyos that would destroy the previous

vegetation. According to the prospector (2001) UTEP wanted to build a parking lot for some of

these arroyos. If something that is built is obstructive to the plants, it will kill them because it

will cover there needed necessity for growth. This is why Lee (2005) conducted a research on the

effect on buildings covering canals. Once these arroyos begin to get destroyed the plants begin to

get uncovered exposing their roots causing them to die. This will then affect the nearby wildlife

that lived in these areas

Plants will continue to grow regardless of what will be put in front of them. According to

Isaar (1996) arroyos will continue to grow wild plant life regardless. This is because these

arroyos are only affected for that short amount of time, so they will continue to grow right after

that. According to Lee (2005) He states that arroyos are better to go untouched. Arroyos are

mother nature so regardless if there is a building in the way. Vegetation will still manage to find

a way around these buildings. They will grow towards the sunlight, so they will grow around

things that get in the way.

When the rivers begin to fill up they began to fill into the arroyos allowing for vegetation

to grow. According to Evans (2016) rivers feed into these arroyos. Rivers that begin to overflow

end up flowing into these arroyos. According to Snavely (2014) Flooding is a natural process so

the water that comes with the flooding ends up dumping off into these arroyos. So naturally if the
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water doesn’t fill up into the rivers the arroyos will then not fill up. Rivers are an important part

to the arroyo system. Because they act as a relief route into these arroyos. However, it makes it

difficult for these arroyos when there are no nearby rivers. Because there is no water for these

arroyos to receive if there is no water. In Figure 1. We can see that these arroyos depend on the

water that comes from these rivers. In the figure the water runs down from the mountain then it

goes into the river. Then some of this excess water will runoff from these rivers into the arroyos

supplying them with water.

Rivers can affect the growth of plants in the arroyos. According to Evans (2016) if these

rivers do not get enough water there will be no supply into the arroyos. When these arroyos don’t

get water from these rivers they have no water source to let them grow. This shows that Snavely

(2014) When the water doesn’t enter the arroyos from the natural process. The vegetation that is

supposed to grow in these arroyos will begin to not grow as easy because the water isn’t filling

up these arroyos.
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Conclusion

Arroyos can affect the growth of vegetation. It is important to know this because it can

allow us to figure out how it can affect our community. The problem was that we didn’t know

how or ways that arroyos affected vegetation in the area. Arroyos are naturally made by the run-

off water that comes down from the mountains. These arroyos however can affect the growth of

vegetation in the area and in the arroyos.

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References

ARMANINI, A. (2005). Mountain Streams. In M. G. Anderson & J. J. McDonnell (Eds.),

Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences (Vol. 4, pp. [2187]-2198). West Sussex, UK:

Wiley. Retrieved from http://0-

link.galegroup.com.lib.utep.edu/apps/doc/CX2589600170/GVRL?u=txshracd2603&sid=

GVRL&xid=5b9ef5ba

Daniels, R. B., & Hammer, R. D. (1992). Soil geomorphology New York: Wiley, c1992.

Retrieved from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b1481850

&site=eds-live&scope=site

Evans, K. M. (2016). Surface Water: Rivers, Streams, and Lakes. In Information Plus Reference

Series. Water: A Limited Resource (2015 ed., pp. 33-49). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale.

Retrieved from http://0-

link.galegroup.com.lib.utep.edu/apps/doc/CX3629000009/GVRL?u=txshracd2603&sid=

GVRL&xid=114f6e76

Evans, Kim Masters. "Water Issues." The Environment, 2016 ed., Gale, 2016, pp. 137-157.

Information Plus Reference Series. Gale Virtual Reference Library, http://0-

link.galegroup.com.lib.utep.edu/apps/doc/CX3632900015/GVRL?u=txshracd2603&sid=

GVRL&xid=88e3fc48. Accessed 28 Oct. 2018.

Issar, A., & Resnick, S. D. (1996). Runoff, infiltration, and subsurface flow of water in arid and

semi-arid regions. Dordrecht; Boston: Kluwer Academic. Retrieved from http://0-

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search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b174

4920&site=eds-live&scope=site

Klima’s, V. (2015). Remote sensing of floods and flood-prone areas: An overview.Journal of

Coastal Research, 31(4), 1005-1013. Retrieved from https://0-search-proquest-

com.lib.utep.edu/docview/1700941318?accountid=7121

LEE, G. F., & JONES-LEE, A. (2005). Urban Storm water Runoff Water Quality Issues. In J. H.

Lehr & J. Keeley (Eds.), Water Encyclopedia (Vol. 3, pp. 432-437). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

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link.galegroup.com.lib.utep.edu/apps/doc/CX2589200525/GVRL?u=txshracd2603&sid=

GVRL&xid=585e82bd

Issar, A., & Resnick, S. D. (1996). Runoff, infiltration, and subsurface flow of water in arid and

semi-arid regions. Dordrecht; Boston: Kluwer Academic. Retrieved from http://0-

search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cat04704a&AN=nug.b174

4920&site=eds-live&scope=site

Providence sewer line may run on university. (1972,). The Prospector Retrieved from https://0-

access-newspaperarchive-com.lib.utep.edu/us/texas/el-paso/el-paso-prospector/1975/09-

02?tag=the+prospector+arroyo+natural+feature&rtserp=tags/the-prospector-arroyo-

natural-feature?psb=relevance
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SMITH, R. E., & GOODRICH, D. C. (2005). Rainfall Excess Overland Flow. In M. G.

Anderson & J. J. McDonnell (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Hydrological Sciences (Vol. 3, pp.

[1707]-1718). West Sussex, UK: Wiley. Retrieved from http://0-

link.galegroup.com.lib.utep.edu/apps/doc/CX2589600134/GVRL?u=txshracd2603&sid=

GVRL&xid=52acaf06

Figures (Graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs.)

Figure 1. The water begins from the top of the mountain then runs down into the soil and top of
the soil into the river.
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Figure 2. The plants that receive more water runoff tend to me smaller. However, the plants that
receive less water runoff are larger.