This is not the Arizona desert. This is not a creek. It's actually a drain, or rain collector. It's designed to look like a creek, or small stream. Since the Phoenix area if flat, when it rains, there is no place for the water to go, so the city planner have designed places all over the area for the water to drain until it either evaporates or soaks in the ground.  We had a pretty heavy rain last night and this is one of the "creeks" about half mile from the house.  In a few of days the water will be gone and it will again look a dry creek bed. If you look closely, you will see Elliot Road on the left and the wall that surrounds the housing development on the right.