A view from a bridge

Spectators of all ages kept a close eye on the finish line from the bridge railing as hundreds of ducks passed beneath the Dean Dam Bridge over Mill Creek. They were watching the April 30 Mill Creek Coalition annual Rubber Ducky Race down its namesake stream. The Clarion University student chapter of The Wildlife Society helped sponsor the event. Twenty-five years ago, extensive lengths of Mill Creek and Little Mill Creek were dead due to high levels of acid, iron, manganese and aluminum from mine acid discharges. The Mill Creek Coalition and its partners began using passive treatment systems to counter the pollution.