A vocabulary of landscape — a landscape of words
975 entries
tinaja
A natural rock basin — a pothole in bedrock, typically in a canyon or wash, that collects and holds rainwater. Tinajas can be inches deep or deep enough to swim in, and in the desert they are critical water sources for everything that lives. Some hold water year-round; others last only weeks after rain.
Etymology
Spanish, meaning a large earthen jar. The rock basin resembles the water storage vessel — the desert makes its own jars.