Mill Creek Yacht Club
ORIGINS OF THE YACHT CLUB
The Mill Creek Yacht Club (MCYC) is a group of individuals that have braved the waters of the Mill Creek on one or more canoe expeditions, or Urban Stream Adventures (USA) as we like to call them. There is a smaller, devoted group deemed the veterans of the Mill Creek who typically lead these expeditions because of their experience on the creek. The MCYC's maiden voyage was in April of 1994, they reached their 100th outing in 2014, and hit over 1000 crewmates in 2016. The crewmates have covered more than 26 of the Mill Creek's 28 miles by canoe or kayak. They believe paddling is the best way to experience our urban stream and partner with the Alliance to be the eyes and ears on the waterway.
Some of these voyages have even led to corrective actions by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ohio EPA, Metropolitan Sewer District, and other watershed stakeholders. They've experienced the creek during every month of the year in sun, rain, wind, and snow, in both night and day.
Much of the Mill Creek has become familiar, but it never stops amazing these tried and true watershed enthusiasts. Mahketewah (the Native American name for "Mill Creek") still holds unrevealed secrets.
PADDLING WITH THE YACHT CLUB - FUN WITH A PURPOSE
To stay up-to-date with the Mill Creek Yacht Club and their Urban Stream Adventures, subscribe to the Alliance's newsletter and keep an eye on our event calendar. Our newsletters let you know about upcoming events. Each trip is $25/person and registration is required.
Who's been on an Urban Stream Adventure with us?
See for yourself on our LIST OF CREWMATES, which includes: members of congress, mayors, state legislators, county commissioners, Council donors, township trustees, consultants, public works directors, sewer district directors, watershed group directors, planners, journalists, videographers, stream specialists, professors, regulators, business people, landowners, engineers, environmentalists, college students, and a dog or two. Check out more pictures from stream adventures on Flickr.
CLEAN-UP WITH THE YACHT CLUB
Stream cleanups are also a big part of the Mill Creek Yacht Club, with over 40 trips dedicated to this purpose since the group formed over 20 years ago. Each year, the MCYC supports no less than 3 Mill Creek stream cleanups! Many pop-up cleanups also take place.
Since 1995, the Mill Creek Yacht Club, in collaboration with Reading's Public Works Department, has organized the Mill Creek Valley Cleanup by Canoe on the Friday before Earth Day (April) in the communities between Roselawn and Evendale.
The last weekend in July, the MCYC puts their attention on the first 1/2 mile of the Mill Creek in preparation for Paddlefest, the nations largest paddling celebration.
In commitment to ongoing maintenance and monitoring of completed restoration projects throughout the watershed, each year the MCYC organizes another cleanup-by-canoe and cleanup-by-land during the Upper Mill Creek Cleanup (UMC Cleanup). This generally takes place at the end of September or beginning of October.
Cleaning up the stream is a tough job and recommended only for those in good health looking for a challenge. It's a great way to build camaraderie with the Yacht Club, coworkers, friends, and family because it's a job where the feeling of accomplishment is real.
These cleanups are free to participate in and your help is much appreciated! Subscribe to the Alliance newsletter to keep up with all of our events. We'll provide registration and event information there. If you have any questions about this type of event, check out our FAQ's on the Volunteer page.
THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL, OUR COMMODORE:
Video produced, edited, and directed by David Ashbrock.