The Arroyo Seco (dry wash) is a major tributary of the Salinas River in central California. About 40 miles (64 km) long, it drains a rugged area of the Coast Ranges east of Big Sur before flowing through the agricultural Salinas Valley.
Arroyo Seco means dry streambed or dry wash in Spanish. The river probably got its name because it disappears into the ground more than 10 miles (16 km) above its mouth for most of the year, however, it reaches the Salinas during the rainy season. The river above the Salinas Valley is actually a fairly large perennial stream. The common name, Arroyo Seco River or Arroyo Seco Creek, is actually a tautology because the name contains two mentions of watercourse, thus Arroyo Seco River literally translates to dry streambed river.
