Mill Creek, Brook in Downtown Visalia, US

Mill Creek is a waterway running through Downtown Visalia as one of four main channels directing water from the Kaweah River into the city. Much of the creek flows underground, hidden beneath roads and buildings in concrete-lined sections.

Mill Creek was named after Dr. Mathews's grist mill. In 1910 the creek was lined with cement and covered, and roads and buildings were built over it; about one-third of a mile now flows below the surface. The work was expected to solve flooding, but flooding continued.

Mill Creek takes its name from Dr. Mathew's grist mill, which once stood along its banks. Today the creek is one of four main channels that carry Kaweah River water through Visalia, and city plans call for resurfacing the downtown section that now runs inside a concrete conduit.

About one-third of a mile of Mill Creek runs below ground in a concrete conduit, so in Downtown Visalia look for the street surface rather than open water. The covered stretch lies beneath roads and buildings, and plans exist to resurface part of the creek.

Despite early cement lining and covering, the creek repeatedly overflowed its banks during heavy rains, revealing the persistent power of natural waterflow. These recurring floods prompted further adjustments to the city's water management approach.