Dear Editor,

My name is “Squiggle the Squirrel,” and I have a problem. The creek my friends and I drink from has gone dry. Mrs. Owl, who has lived here on Four Mile Creek for 30 years, said this is the first time she has ever seen the creek without water.

Mrs. Owl and I convened a wildlife conference with the deer, elk, fox family, raccoons, beavers, birds, etc. Notably missing from the conference were Mr. Bear, who was hibernating, and Mrs. Fish, who was history. We decided to hire our duck friends to fly up the creek and investigate the mysterious disappearance of our water.

Dickey Duck reported that at the Black Diamond Road turnoff the humans had built a concrete wall and metal gate to divert all the water to an area where the humans were building new houses. I was elected to communicate with the human “Water People” and was told that the Supreme “Water Court,” in their infinite wisdom, decided that the “Gate People” have the right to take all of the water from our area of the creek.

What to do? I guess my choice is to eat snow, lick ice, or pack my nuts and leave. My other friends will have to learn to get along without the creek or be forced to leave, except for poor Mrs. Fish who isn’t going anywhere.

A wise old deer told me his ancestors used to winter along this creek. He said this is what the humans call “progress.”

I don’t want to pack up my nuts. This is a wonderful place to live. We wish the “Water Court” would consider leaving a trickle of water in the creek for my friends and me.

Sincerely,

Thomas Turner

Glenwood Springs