MCWD hosted 6 community events in 2008!
Minnehaha Falls and Glen Groundbreaking Ceremony - Friday, November 21
Watershed Heroes Award Ceremony - Friday, September 26
Clean Water Council Tour - Monday, September, 15
Day at the Lake Watershed Festival - Saturday, July 19
Clean up the Creek and Get Something to Eat - Sunday, July 13
Spring Fling - Thursday, June 19
Read the 2008 events press release
Check out the 2009 community events! Click here
Check out the 2007 community events! Click here
Minnehaha Falls and Glen Groundbreaking Ceremony ~ Friday, November 21, 2008
Please visit the Minnehaha Falls and Glen Project page for more information.
Watershed Heroes Award Ceremony ~ Friday, September 26, 2008
 |
 |
 |
For more information on Watershed Heroes Award including Recipients and Criteria please click here.
To see more photos of the event please visit the Photo Gallery.
Clean Water Council Tour ~ Monday, September 15, 2008
Click here to see the tour booklet |
MCWD hosted a tour of projects within MCWD for the Minnesota Clean Water Council. The project sites visited were Downtown Mound, West End Development, Methodist Hospital, Bachman's Flagship Store, and Locust Hills. Without collaborative partnerships at the local level the projects visited would never have been possible. The day ended with a boat cruise highlighting the Big Island restoration project and gave folks a chance to hear about the partnerships needed to protect Big Island. Also, MCWD provided information about the efforts to clean up Lake Minnetonka and the monitoring done throughout the watershed. To see more photos of and read more about the Clean Water Council Tour please visit the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's website. |
 |
|
Downtown MoundDowntown Mound the group saw the redevelopment within the City of Mound.
|
|
|
West End DevelopmentThe West End Development presentation showed the innovative stormwater practices being incorporated in the development. Highlights
|
|
|
Park Nicollet Methodist HospitalThe Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital located along, Minnehaha Creek, showed the group how a site, even a hospital, can embraced water and the outdoors. Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital will be receiving a 2008 Watershed Heroes Award for "Excellence in Development" for the work they did for the Heart and Vascular Center. Highlights
* Frauenshuh Cancer Center to be completed in 2009
|
|
|
Bachman'sThe Bachman's Flagship Store and Corporate Office applied for and received a Cynthia Krieg Grant to help make the educational displays and signs part of Bachman's shopping experience. Each unique stormwater feature has a large educational sign. Bachman's will be receiving an "Outstanding Partner" Award at the 2008 Watershed Heroes Award Ceremony. Highlights
|
|
|
Locust HillsLocust Hills, a 70-acre estate was developed to be environmentally sensitive. Lot sizes within the development were decreased to allow more open space and preserve natural features. Highlights
|
|
|
Lake Minnetonka Boat CruiseThe day ended with three presentations on a boat cruise on Lake Minnetonka. The first presentation was on the health of Lake Minnetonka as it relates to it's degraded past and it's rebounding health. Lake Minnetonka has come a long ways but still has hurdles to over-come. The shoreline continues to contribute sediment due to wave action and poorly stabilized shorelines. MCWD has been working with landowners to stabilize shorelines to help improve the water quality. A second presentation revolved around the monitoring of water quality through out the watershed and the importance of continuing to monitor the creek and lakes to help prevent water quality from declining. The final presentation revolved around the history of Big Island and what is happening with Big Island today. The boat cruised past the MCWD shoreline stabilization project on Big Island. |
|
To see more photos of the event please visit the Photo Gallery.
Day at the Lake Watershed Festival ~ Saturday, July 19, 2008
 |
 |
 |
.On Sunday, July 19, over 150 families and individuals participated in the Day at Lake festive's. The event started with Pontoons and Petunias a guided boat tour of Lake Minnetonka Gardens. While on the tour, the general public learned about planting for clean water (Blue Thumb) and toured private gardens.
Local runners and walkers enjoyed water from the Waterstop. Children and families practiced casting, raced minnows, bowled with water bottles, and planted for the future and much more. For the first time ever, participants learned about water pollution through Putt Putt Away Pollution a 9-hole mini golf course.
To finish this great day, the Historic Minnehaha Steamboat provided tours to Big Island. Riders were among the first to explore Big Island from the Minnehaha Steamboat in over 80 years. This event was a huge success.
Many thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors, partners that helped make this event happen.
 |
 |
 |
 |
More information on how to have Putt Putt Away Pollution at your event or festival e-mail admin@minnehahacreek.org or by phone Download pdfs of descriptions/signs of each hole |
 |
 |
Minnehaha Creek Cleanup ~ Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sponsored by Leinenkugel's
 |
| Download Event Flyer |
On Sunday, July 13, over 160 volunteers came out in force to help clean up the shores of Minnehaha Creek and Lake Hiawatha. Participants were fueled up by a pancake breakfast provided by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, and treated to more free food (and beer for those 21 and older) at the Leinenkugel's post-cleanup barbeque. Volunteers were also treated to massages courtesy of Hopkins Spinal Care.
Participants waded in the creek to answer the question: Do fish eat candy bars? And prizes were awarded to the teams who collected the most candy wrappers. Volunteers collected over 700 candy bar wrappers (along with many bags - and a whole canoe full - of trash) from the creek. So it looks like either fish DO eat candy bars, or something else is going on...
Many thanks to the volunteers, and to our Sponsors and Partners:
 |
 |
 |
| Citizens for the Minnehaha Creek Corridor |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
Spring Fling ~ Thursday, June 19, 2008
MCWD and REI sponsored the Spring Fling at the Minnehaha Creek Headwaters Park off of Gray’s Bay Boulevard. Many Grays Bay residents, Minnetonka residents, and local paddlers attended the family fun activities.
Kids of all ages tested out REI’s kayaks and canoes on the Minnehaha Headwaters.
Children and adults explored the head waters by taking a nature walk, learned how to fish, raced minnows, played with bubbles, kayaked or canoed along the creek and wetland area, learned about a watershed and stormwater runoff, and planted a sunflower seed to take home with them.
Walkers and bikers enjoyed water from the WaterStop. Those who rode their bikes or walked received a free WaterStop T-shirt. Everyone who attended received a door prize.
Thank you for all who participated in the event. The Headwaters is great place to visit for bird watching, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and to just relax and have some fun!
: