For Kids

Some arroyos have dirt walls, and some are lined with concrete. It may be tempting to play in them, but it is safer to go to the park or play in the yard instead.

Arroyos and flood control channels are designed to move water from the mountains and mesas to the Rio Grande as quickly as possible. Most of the time they are dry, but when it rains, they can fill with water very suddenly and without warning. It may be sunny in Albuquerque but raining in the mountains. Water comes down so fast it is called "flash flooding." Within ten seconds you could get caught in water going as fast as a car and it is nearly impossible to get out!

Stay safe - stay out of the arroyos, even when they are dry.

Click on the thumbnails below for some fun activities for you and your friends to do together:

Beware of flash floods! (coloring page)

Call 911 (coloring page)

Show off your ditch and arroyo safety vocabulary with this word search - do you know all of them?

Calabacillas Arroyo Scavenger Hunt!

New Take a field trip, put on your thinking cap, and find all the fossils hidden in the Calabacillas Arroyo's artwork! For more information, see the Calabacillas Arroyo webpage.