You say river, I say wash

First there was the transient who, when approached by Deputies, took out a pistol, was fired upon, and fleed into the "wash." A few days later, a cyclist spotted him in the "wash" and Deputies arrested him there, next to the "wash." 

And then yesterday a 110 lb California black bear was found and pursued up the "wash" until he was successfully tranq'd and removed from the wash. 

Why does the Signal keep referring to the Santa Clara river as "the wash?" I mean it's a river right? 

"But Jeff,a river has to have water and the Santa Clara river has no water."

"Yes it does!" replies Lynne Plambeck, local environmentalist and thorn-in-the-side of every developer, like, ever. "The river is dry in the eastern parts of town because we've p