What's a Watershed District?

Watershed districts are special units of local government that conserve natural resources through various means as laid out in their watershed management plans. The plans are updated every 10 years and identify water related problems, possible solutions, objectives, and proposed projects of the watershed district. Watershed districts are led by a board of managers and water resource professionals who frequently collaborate with local communities to achieve water resource objectives.

Want to see what watershed district you're in? Click here to view the interactive map.

Minnehaha Watershed District

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) stewards 178 square miles of Minnehaha Creek Watershed, covering territory from Richfield to Saint Bonifacius, with many communities in between. Iconic natural resources include the Six Mile Creek Chain of Lakes, Lake Minnetonka, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Minnehaha Creek, and Minnehaha Falls.

The MCWD is responsible for:

• building projects in pursuit of a balanced urban ecology
• shaping policy that brings land use and water planning together
• conducting research and monitoring regarding the resources in the district
• permitting projects with a focus on service and partnership
• connecting people to information and recreation opportunities
• operating Gray’s Bay Dam, which manages flow between Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek, in order to control flooding, prolong base flow in the creek, and support regional resilience