Emerald Wash is a dry wash, or arroyo, and a vital desert corridor that flows briefly after heavy rain. These washes support taller trees, dense shrubs, and provide vital habitat for wildlife. Birds like Gambel’s Quail, Verdin, and Costa’s Hummingbird nest here while coyotes, javelinas, rabbits, and bobcats rely on the wash for food, water and shelter. In 1941, P Bar ranch hands built the historic Keller Tank dam in this area to capture water for their cattle to drink in the otherwise dry desert terrain.