Canals and rivers running through the valley (Sun City, Maricopa: homes, pros and cons)

[New Horizons]

Why are some of those concrete canals or "washes" so large in terms of depth and width? I know we can get a heavy storm here and there, but I don't see how anything can generate enough water to fill one of them up.

Also you have these massive riverbeds like this one:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=sun+c...200.08,,0,6.19

Is that all natural, or were they dredged to shape?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by New Horizons

Why are some of those concrete canals or "washes" so large in terms of depth and width? I know we can get a heavy storm here and there, but I don't see how anything can generate enough water to fill one of them up.

Also you have these massive riverbeds like this one:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=sun+c...200.08,,0,6.19

Is that all natural, or were they dredged to shape?

Well, they can be filled and even overflow in some cases. You haven't lived here long enough to remember flooding maybe. That picture of the Agua Fria; I have seen that river bank to bank and outside of the banks in many places flooding dozens of homes (Feb, 1980).

[azdr0710]

you can see in that picture that that part of the Agua Fria has been channelized, no doubt so Del could build more places in Sun City....yes, many washes and rivers are channelized in urban areas throughout Phx and the country to allow more development...pros and cons to the practice....yes, they do fill up with water at times....


Flash Flood - YouTube