MILLS AND DAMS

Mills and Dams by Delilah Hohenstein

Hey, Let’s build a mill, to turn a saw toothed wheel.

It cuts through wood as if it’s made of steel.

They’ll use it all to build a mine shaft wall

and to fuel that steam driven Dinah down the hall.

You can’t clear cut all the forests

and expect the stumps to just revive.

Don’t you know the trees hold water,

prevent erosion and shade our lives.

But it’s a must, to get rid of that dust.

Soon the mill’s machinery began to rust.

The mill was a dump, the forest full of stumps;

the river was filled with sawdust laden slump.

You can’t have a healthy River

dumping garbage in the stream.

We can help restore the river;

is that really too much to dream?

Let’s build a dam, to water arid land,

where the lifeblood of the river sinks into the sand.

Some said it isn’t fair, to send the water there,

But the Bureau of Reclamation said they didn’t care.

You can’t block that Truckee River

when the fish are trying to spawn.

If you don’t allow for safe fish passage

The fish won’t be around for long.

The Corps of engineers, the river tried to steer.

Built a levee so it flows through straight and clear.

No flood in winter, but what they didn’t consider

is that a winding flow through a flood plain actually creates forage, cover and biodiver-

sity.

You can’ fix that Truckee River

by just straightening it out.

That’s what made the Truckee Meadows.

the river meandering about.

Excerpted from the theatrical musical play: The Ballad of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout

By DD’s Hot Lunch Family Band Delilah Hohenstein and Clint Hohenstein