Riparian Area – a wet zone (relatively speaking) in the desert
On a hike with my friend on November 13, 2012, through some serious desert and cactus, we came upon this riparian area on the fringes and within a wash. The was completely dry then, but there was debris 4-5 feet in the trees, showing where flash floods had risen to recently. The vegetation in a riparian area reflects the availability of ground water not too deep.