It is no accident that most of the world's great cities are built around great bodies of water. Whether providing essential services like drinking water, power for milling, navigation, or serving as a community gathering point, lakes and rivers underpin our sense of place around the world.

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) came into being in 1967, at the request of residents concerned about flooding on Minnehaha Creek, to protect and improve the waters within its boundaries.

In the 50 years the MCWD has been working to bolster quality of water and quality of life, a lot has changed. The major issues facing the health of our waters have evolved, as has our understanding of the best ways to address them. Our communities have grown and their priorities have shifted. Residents and public/private organizations have come together to accomplish some major victories for our natural resources.

This publication highlights a few of these stories from our first 50 years in relation to our five guiding principles: service, sound science, partnerships, innovation, and excellence. Read the publication below to learn more, and check out our history page for more interesting stories from the watershed.