The Mill Creek Conservancy is a 501C 3 non-profit organization formed in 1994 by local landowners, community members, and partners committed to preserving the Mill Creek Watershed for future generations.

The Conservancy is dedicated to the continued protection and stewardship of the Mill Creek’s historically pristine ecosystem by promoting resource protection and compatible land usage through cooperative efforts between landowners, federal and state agencies and other stakeholders. The Conservancy has worked closely with the Los Molinos Mutual Water Company (LMMWC), California’s Department of Fish & Game, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Nature Conservancy as well as many other agencies and conservation organizations to create ongoing programs that protect and enhance the survival of Mill Creek’s threatened and endangered Chinook salmon and steelhead populations.

The Conservancy strives to study the interlocking dynamics of all aspects of the Mill Creek Watershed, sharing this information with our membership and other interested parties while also using it to initiate resource protection activities. We believe that community education and good will are two of the most important keys to the long-term protection of Mill Creek’s natural and cultural values, including the survival of its diverse wildlife.

The Conservancy recognizes private property rights in tandem with landowners’ responsibilities for resource protection. We believe that local landowners have been and should continue to be the best stewards of the Mill Creek Watershed, because of their intimate knowledge and connection with the land. The Conservancy encourages landowners to work cooperatively with private organizations and public agencies to improve stewardship through effective working partnerships.

One of the Conservancy’s many significant accomplishments was to work with California Assemblyman Byron Sher and Friends of The River to pass A.B. 1413, which prohibited the building of any further dams on Mill Creek and gave it the functional equivalent of federal “Wild and Scenic River” protection.