Rain came down on woodlands and on grassy field,
settled in the ground, slow to the creek to yield.

Water ran between the banks, all the summer through,
kids drank it and splashed in it, as they healthy grew.

More settlers came and harnessed up their teams,
cleared the land of trees, way back to the streams.

Diversion ditches moving water, off from lawn and farm,
were just getting rid of it, surely there's no harm!

A hundred years later, oh what have we done?
Soil and trees washed away, creeks baking in sun!

Water running under gravel, there is no stream in sight,
the fish can't swim pool to pool, this just is not right.

Flooding all around and we blame it on the weather,
we have studied the problem and now we know better.

Fluvial Geomorphology/Natural Stream Design,
let us get it repaired and make up for our crime.

From fractured bring it back, to a sinuous stream bed,
it will take a little longer to put shade up overhead.

Stormwater Management Plan, we must put in place,
or history will repeat itself, much to our disgrace.

Water comes with their purchase, new settlers must understand,
no increase in the runoff, must be included in the their master plan.

The little streams in the valley, are coming back to health,
becoming streams of beauty and enhancing township wealth.

All working together, for the better of the whole.
There it is in a nutshell, we share a common goal.

-Ken Cooke, Penn-York Bentley Creek Watershed Association, Inc.