We planned to make a dry creek bed with infiltration pits that would help the runoff perk back into groundwater. We had the bobcat dig out the beginning of the infiltration pits, but Rob got too busy on his hiatus to finish them.
You can see in the shot, taken after the rain, the general path the
runoff will take once the creek and the pits are done. (You can also
see some poppies Rob transplanted from the front yard to the backyard
and, to the far right, a rather large "twig" that is actually a Nevada
Cottonwood tree.)
Unfortunately, the unfinished pits became a watering hole for some large critters -- like the coyote that left these prints! We were able to figure out where they were getting through the fence and block it, though.
You can see in the shot, taken after the rain, the general path the
runoff will take once the creek and the pits are done. (You can also
see some poppies Rob transplanted from the front yard to the backyard
and, to the far right, a rather large "twig" that is actually a Nevada
Cottonwood tree.) 
Unfortunately, the unfinished pits became a watering hole for some large critters -- like the coyote that left these prints! We were able to figure out where they were getting through the fence and block it, though.
Been traveling a lot for work and haven't had time to post. Looking at all the photos, there's been A LOT of progress, so now that I'm home, I'll start getting you caught up.
It looks like a big pile of mud here, but over the next few days, you'll see how pretty we've made it.
