History of Minnehaha Creek Watershed

Developed by Rich and Susan Cairn
for the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District 2003

Download this 34-page illustrated natural and human history (large download: 8.33 MB) of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed and learn:

• Who named Minnehaha?
• What did the first settlers find when they arrived?
• Which cities began on the banks of the creek?
• What caused the flood of February 1966?
• What changed because of that flood?

Minnehaha Creek Watershed Digital Historical Library

A four-disc set of CD ROMs (2.5 gigabytes) contains a digital historical library of the watershed:

• USGS topographic maps covering the entire watershed from 1900 and 1950
• Hundreds of aerial photos covering the entire watershed from 1940 and 1995
• Historical photos, maps, and data
• Geologic and hydrologic maps and diagrams
• Habitat maps and photos (pre-settlement and current)
• Land use and land cover maps
• Population data by decade by city from 1850-2000
• Curriculum adaptations to support use of these materials within the Minneapolis Public Schools Core Science Curriculum

You can download a complete list of the documents in the library. Also, the set of CDs are available for viewing at Minneapolis Public Libraries in the watershed. Educators who teach students living in the watershed may request a free set of the CDs; non-educators wanting a CD set can purcahse one for $7.00. Contact Julie Westerlund, MCWD Communications and Education Coordinator, (952-471-0590x209) to order a CD set.