What Stream?

Water gushes in a small stream across this vacant lot. I'm sure I've walked by here more than 50 times and why today I took special note of it, I don't know -- perhaps because it's a wet, sloppy day resulting in a decent amount of water in the tiny ditch.

I decided to walk through the lot to follow the stream behind several houses. The lot is triangular and when I reached the point of the triangle, I could see over the fence into someone's back yard, where this little stream flows right through. I walked around the block to attempt to see a beginning—no luck. I walked back and looked across the street where the stream emerged from under the road and flowed through a wooded area. I bet this water comes from the pond in a nearby park, eventually finding its way to Fanno Creek. Surface water that dives below streets, houses and yards to emerge in this one particular vacant lot. Why is it not culverted here as well? Is there something different about this tiny area of the nearly two mile length of this little stream?

Seen today: Snow, falling in big sloppy flakes in the middle of the night! House sparrows, flicker. Heard today: Bewick's wren, song sparrow, black capped chickadees, Stellar's jay, red breasted nuthatch, winter wren (but not singing), scrub jay.