Mill Creek is a heavily urbanized stream that drains areas of Cleveland, Beachwood, Warrensville Heights, Highland Hills, Shaker Heights, North Randall, Garfield Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, and Maple Heights. The Mill Creek Falls is the highest waterfall in Cuyahoga County. Mill Creek drains southeastern Cleveland and the suburbs along the southeastern border of Cleveland. It has total drainage area of 18.1 square miles and a total length of 9 miles.

Almost the entire creek is open with the only significant culverted sections being short segments of the creek upstream of Garfield Park, under Interstate 480, and downstream of the detention basin east of Kerruish Park. Except for the concrete beds in the culverts, the creek’s substrate is predominantly natural.

Mill Creek’s drainage area is primarily residential and industrial. The water quality of Mill Creek is of particular concern to Northeast Ohio Sewer District as it discharges into the Cuyahoga River approximately 1 mile upstream of the Southern discharge to the river. Historically, Mill Creek has been one of the most heavily polluted stream in the Greater Cleveland Area.

The Mill Creek Watershed Partnership coordinates cleanup efforts for the creek.

Recent activities

• The Cuyahoga County Board of Health received a state coastal management grant to develop a community action plan for the Mill Creek watershed. The Cuyahoga River Remedial Action Plan has been hired to do the work. The RAP will also be inventorying wetlands in the watershed.
• The Cuyahoga County Board of Health has received an Ohio EPA grant to restore natural flow and habitat along 1,000 linear feet of Mill Creek as it flows through the Highland Hills Golf Course. The City of Cleveland Department of Parks and Recreation and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District are partners in the project.