The Minnehaha Creek subwatershed encompasses all the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD or District) downstream of the Grays Bay Dam and is commonly referred to as the "lower watershed." The cities of Plymouth, Wayzata, Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Edina, Minneapolis, and Richfield have land within this subwatershed. The subwatershed, which includes the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls, is drained by the 22-mile long Minnehaha Creek and empties to the Mississippi River. Other major lakes in the subwatershed include Nokomis, Hiawatha, Diamond, and Powderhorn. Several other smaller lakes and wetlands dot the subwatershed.

While some of the lakes meet their water quality goals, five lakes have been designated impaired for excess nutrients. Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies to diagnose the source of those excess nutrients have been completed and approved for Nokomis and Hiawatha for reducing nutrient loading and achieving water quality goals. The remaining three will be addressed when the MPCA cycles back to the Twin Cities area in 2020. Other concerns within the subwatershed are impairments for chloride, dissolved oxygen, fish and macroinvertebrate IBI, and bacteria.

Read the Minnehaha Creek Subwatershed Plan from the MCWD Watershed Management Plan.