Broadmoor-Broadway Village NA

Our Arroyo Chico Waterway -- Gotta Love It!

Jun 20, 2003

By John Thomas

Our Arroyo Chico is a jewel. Were it not for the hard work of some of our neighbors who "fought city hall," it might have become a concrete, sterile eyesore, filled with graffiti and debris. Instead, it's a respite from the concrete world.

I walk my dog, Emily, in the arroyo every day, and usually don't see anyone from the neighborhood, but I do see and hear the most exotic things. First, the cool air streams down from the foothills and though the arroyos into the city. If you rode a bike in the evening through the arroyo at Stratford or Eastbourne,
you would immediately notice the temperature drop within the arroyo - probably five degrees or more. When you walk in the arroyo, sometimes you feel cool gusts, like thermoclines when scuba diving. And for many hours during the day you can escape the sun as the arroyo is shaded by the tall oleanders.

I am not a birder, but the bird life in the arroyo is so intense and close up it can be enjoyed without binoculars and other birder stuff. The grackles roost in the oleanders during the evening and make such a commotion - even though you may not see them in the oleanders, their chatter is almost deafening. The hawks are silent, but they amaze and startle by their presence. One or two hawks must have been nesting there last year, as they would announce their dominion over this part of the arroyo by swooping down in front of anyone walking through the arroyo, and 'guiding' the party through the arroyo, always staying a few feet ahead and swooping to the next tree.
Perhaps I saw the same hawk last week,
only this time the hawk was carrying its mouse dinner while swooping ahead of me.

Last week I also ran into a four-legged critter that I didn?’t expect, early in the afternoon while walking Emily. The coyote was about 30 yards in front of us, walking nonchalantly down the center of the arroyo. Of course Emily barked
like crazy, and started to run after it. But the coyote was not bothered, and simply continued to walk ahead of us, and look back from time to time. Emily and I exited the arroyo at the pedestrian bridge, as I didn't want to harass or
frighten the coyote. But isn't that cool that we have an occasional coyote right here in our arroyo?

When I shared this story the next day with a couple out walking who lived on Malvern, the fellow said he saw a PAIR of coyotes hunting for lizards and mice in the oleanders. So this is a word to the wise for those who keep outdoor
cats, WATCH OUT! The cat you save may be your own.

A few final thoughts: The arroyo is CLEAN. The city recently trimmed and scraped both Arroyo Chico as well as the smaller arroyo west of Stratford by the school grounds that empties into Arroyo Chico. There is usually little or no
trash in the arroyo, and no evidence of homeless people staying there. The walking is not difficult, but use shoes, not sandals, as there are some sandy areas and rocky areas, and an occasional piece of worn glass in the sand.