Existing comment:
Dendritic Drainages:
Water has etched a design in the desert floor like the branches of a tree. This drainage pattern is called dendritic, from the Latin word for tree, dendron. These streams flow north to the Pueblo River which stretches across the valley below in the distance. The Puerco carries silt-laden water over its sandy bed only when it rains and its tributaries are running. Its name means "Dirty River."
The headwaters of the Puerco are in mountains near Gallup, New Mexico, at 7,000 feet above sea level. Near Holbrook, Arizona, it joins the Little Colorado River, which flows into the master stream, the Colorado. Along most of its length, the Puerco occupies a flat desert valley and provides a natural corridor for a railroad and interstate highway. |