In September 2006, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and the state-wide nonprofit Minnesota Waters began a unique partnership to carry out MCWD’s Watershed Association Initiative (WAI). MCWD is activating groups of citizens who’ve come together with the common value of protecting their local water resources. This goal of protecting and preserving local water resources can begin to be achieved through citizen-led groups working with the District. The scientific expertise, organizational capacity development resources, and citizen-led conservation experience that both the MCWD and Minnesota Waters provide are important for a strong start and a sustainable future for lake, stream, and watershed associations.

• Empower citizens in the Minnehaha Creek Watershed to help meet local water quality goals through strengthening stewardship practices
• Educate property owners around lakes in the District about ways to form healthy, effective, and sustainable citizen-led, water focused organizations
• Provide training's and workshops to equip both newly forming and established lake, stream, or watershed associations to plan for the future by creating Action Plans to meet fundraising, organizational, and communications goals.  By meeting these goals, the citizen-led associations will strengthen their ability to carry out stewardship practices and accomplish water quality goals.
• Strengthen and encourage collaboration between local businesses, local governments, and citizen-led lake, stream or watershed associations.
• Promote a Network of citizen groups throughout the watershed to provide opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and opportunities
• Support citizen-led lake, stream, and watershed associations establish their organizations by providing funding through the Mini-Grant Program.

Lakes and streams within MCWD with citizen-led associations:

• Dutch Lake Association
• Christmas Lake Homeowners Association
• Gleason Lake Improvement Association
• Lake Minnetonka Association
• Mooney Lake Association
• Schutz Lake Association

New citizen-led groups: