The US-Dakota War

The first immigrants arrived in the mid 1600s, and traded with the Mdewakaŋtuŋwaŋ for furs and other goods. However, as more European-American immigrants came into the area, tensions rose. A series of unfulfilled treaties imposed on the Dakota of Minnesota by the United States government took from them more and more land, driving them to starvation and reliance on government annuities (13).

This culminated with the US-Dakota War of 1862, where starvation and maltreatment had created a dangerously volatile situation. Only a small portion of the Dakota people believed war would be the best solution and the majority did not support or participate in the conflict. Despite this, in the course of the 6-week war, 600 white settlers and an unknown number of Dakota people died. An additional 150-300 Dakota non-combatants died from harsh conditions in the Fort Snelling concentration camp.

Military tribunals, in 5-minute trials, condemned 302 Dakota men to death by hanging. However, President Lincoln reduced that number to 39 after being begged by Bishop Whipple, and one additional man was saved after that. On December 28th, 1862, 38 of those men were hung at Fort Snelling in the largest mass execution in United States history. The following year, congress passed a law annulling the previous treaties and exiling the rest of the Dakota nation, with a few exceptions, from Minnesota.

The Shakopee Mdewakaŋtoŋ Sioux Community (SMSC)

The Shakopee Mdewakaŋtoŋ Sioux Community (SMSC) gained federal recognition as a tribal government in 1969 (13). Despite severe systemic disadvantages and attempted cultural annihilation, the SMSC has not only revitalized itself, but has become the largest employer in Scott County (13).

Though its casinos are perhaps the most famous of the SMSC businesses, they are only two out of more than a dozen projects, all of which are built with sustainability in mind. A common phrase of the Mdewakaŋtoŋ is “for the next 7 generations”, which represents the fact that all decisions, especially those involving the land, are intended to be sustainable for future generations. For example, in 2006 SMSC opened the largest green roof water reclamation facility in the Midwest, which collects an average of 11 million gallons of rainwater annually (16), reducing pressure on aquifers and decreasing runoff.

Additionally, the SMSC has invested in public safety departments, infrastructure maintenance, green initiatives, charitable donations and academic scholarships. Since 2007 they have offered a wide range of health services free of charge to several communities throughout the state (15).

European Settlement

News of fertile prairies in attracted pioneers who wanted to farm to Minnesota in 1800’s. When the first settlers arrived, no official government land survey had been done, but they marked their land by “putting notches in trees or plowing a ditch” (18).

Many settlers were concerned about land titles, and so the government passed the “Preemption Act of 1841” which gave title rights to settlers who occupied and “improved” the land via farming, grandfathering in older pioneers. Most of the local townships had settlers as soon as it was legal in the early 1850s, and it did not take long for this area to become fully occupied. For example, all the land in what is now Eden Prairie was claimed by 1855 (18).

What is now Minnesota was acquired by the United States of America acquired via two separate treaties; land east of the Mississippi was ceded by Great Britain in 1783, and land west of the Mississippi was part of the 1803 Louisiana purchase. Some settlers came after Fort Snelling was built in 1819, but it was the forced removal of the Dakota and Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) and illegal seizure of their lands in the 1850s and 1860s that allowed for large numbers of European-American settlers to move into the area (17).

Purgatory Creek Mill

In 1865 Dr. Nathan Stanton built a grain mill on Purgatory Creek just north of Pioneer Trail, which was then called Mill Creek. Historical references give the name Eden Mills, but local residents remember it as the Happy Hollow Mill. In 1867, mill operators planned to dig a channel into a wetland area that is now Neill Lake for extra water, but the plan was abandoned when property owners opposed (18). Instead, they built a dam in the 1870s to try to solve the low water problem (18), but by 1890 the mill was forced to start using steam power (18). The dam was rebuilt in 1955, then removed in the following decades.

An Evolving Watershed

It was not until 16 years after the creation of the District that Bluff Creek was added to its boundaries. This was not the only change that the District would see, as it grew and evolved to meet the changing needs of its community.

Expanding Boundaries

In the fall of 1983, the Cities of Chaska and Chanhassen petitioned to add Bluff Creek to the District. The Division of Waters for the DNR recommended further extending the District’s boundaries south into the Lower Minnesota Watershed District, incorporating Grass Lake as Riley Creek flows into it. The report went so far as to advise the dissolution of the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District, and the incorporation of its responsibilities into the surrounding districts, including Riley-Purgatory Creek Watershed District (2). These recommendations were not fully implemented, though the proposed boundaries did shift to better accommodate the Bluff Creek Watershed (3).

After a public hearing in March of 1984, the enlargement was approved on June 8th, 1984 and Riley-Purgatory Creek Watershed District became Riley-Purgatory-Bluff Creek Watershed District as we know it today (3).

Plans Change

Water Management Plans are often referred to as 10 Year Plans, as they plot an expected course of water management over ten years. The District updated its Water Management Plan in 1996, and again in 2011. In 2018, the fourth generation plan was adopted. Each management plan update sought to address changing needs for protecting, managing, and restoring water resources in the community.

Understanding that public support is critical for the efficient and effective operation of any government organization, the District emphasized public engagement and outreach throughout the development of the 2018 plan. As a result, the issues identified and emphasized in the plan are a direct result of stakeholder input.

Community Connection

Community outreach and engagement has been an important part of the District’s work since the beginning. No organization, whether public or private does its work in a vacuum. We all exist within communities, and how these communities understand and engage with our work can directly influence their success. Watershed districts are no exception to this.

Many of the challenges to clean water are the result of non-point source pollution: many small actions that together make an impact. It follows that only a community of action, working together for clean water can create meaningful solutions. Whether individuals, groups, businesses and non-profits, or other local and regional governments, there is an amazing capacity to do this work within the community that the District is lucky to be a part of.

Historical Highlight: Raymond Haik

Raymond Haik had a distinguished career in environmental law that spanned 50 years and some of America’s most prominent causes in water resources law. He served as a Special Assistant Attorney General in the Minnesota Attorney General’s office and was involved in the development of the Watershed Act adopted by the Minnesota Legislature in 1955. He served as counsel for the state of Minnesota in U.S. Supreme Court litigation involving diversion of water from the Great Lakes and handled the litigation to prevent mineral exploration within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He was appointed by the President of the United States to service on the national Water Pollution Control Advisory Board, and the President’s Quetico – Superior Committee. He served as Chairman of the American Bar Association’s Section of Natural Resources Law, and President of the Izaak Walton League of America.

As an attorney in private practice with the firm of Popham Haik, he assisted in the creation of the Riley Purgatory Bluff Creek Watershed District in 1969 and served as the District’s first attorney. Mr. Haik also served as the first counsel for the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, and worked with the Minneapolis, Hennepin County and Minnesota park systems. His commitment to the profession included mentoring and creating opportunities for younger attorneys at the Popham Haik law firm. The firm’s core values of honor, integrity and public service are lasting legacies for many others. Our natural resources have benefited as well; the watershed model that Mr. Haik had such a large part in shaping is now an inspiration for the rest of the country in confronting our water problems.

Part 3: Learning From The Resource

The first step in protecting and restoring water resources is to understand their current conditions, and trends over time. Through history the watershed district has employed a suite of methods and technologies to learn from and better understand the health of the waters in our community.

Groundwater Monitoring

Dr. Hans-Olaf Pfannkuck was a hydrogeology professor at the University of Minnesota and a pioneer in the field of watershed management and groundwater-surface water interactions. In 1969, the first District management board agreed to work with him to install and oversee 18 wells to monitor groundwater as part of a larger study he was conducting on groundwater management (2). During this period, Dr. Pfannkuch also developed a Stream Stability Assessment that is a key piece of the District’s own Creek Restoration Action Strategy developed in 2015 (3).

An In-Depth Look

In 1970, the Watershed District ordered it’s first in-depth lake study on Lake Riley. The project was completed in 3 phases, lasting until 1985, and included history, current lake status, and recommendations for improvement.

The study first looked at eutrophication levels (how nutrient rich the lake is), where these nutrients were coming from, and which was the primary culprit in algae growth (phosphorus or nitrogen). It found that phosphorus was the limiting nutrient for algae growth, and therefore the best to target to control it. The study also found that about half the phosphorus in Lake Riley was from outside the lake, mostly entering through Riley Creek during spring thaws (1).

The study concluded that watershed management (land use, non-point source pollution, regulation), in-lake sediment treatment, physical changes (weed removal, habitat restoration), chemical controls, biological manipulation (predator-prey ratios, pathological restrictions) and aeration were the most viable strategies for Lake Riley. Dredging out phosphorus-laden sediment in Rice Marsh Lake was also considered a possible solution (1).

Since this study was published, the District has applied many of these strategies, including managing runoff, managing carp, stocking for a healthy fish community, improving outlets to control water quality and flow, and implementing chemical treatments to manage phosphorus in the lake.

The Beginning of Long-Term Data

When monitoring a water resource, it is important to collect data over time in order to track how the healthy of the resource changes. This type of data is the basis for almost all management decisions by helping scientists understand what is going wrong so they can find out why and how to fix it.

Most data records for the District begin in 1972, and the 1975 Lake Water Quality Report was the first time the District was able to analyze trends in water quality, and how the community and the water interact (10).

Inventorying Wetlands

Wetlands are critical ecological and community assets. They provide significant wildlife habitat and refuge, while also supplying aesthetic, recreational, and water quality treatment benefits.

In the 1970s’ the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducted an inventory of wetlands in the Metropolitan region via aerial photographs to better understand their extent. In 1977, the District agreed to partner with the DNR, and paid $840 to support the project in return for copies of the report concerning District areas (4).

In 2018, the District began a process of updating and deepening this understanding through inventorying all of the wetland area within its boundaries. The inventory involves on-the ground assessments of local wetlands including hydrology, geomorphology, soil analysis, cultural significance, water quality benefits, habitat benefits, and plant communities. This inventory will give the District a better understanding of the health and extent of local wetlands, and lay the foundation for improving the protection of the remaining wetlands as well as the restoration of drained, filled, or otherwise degraded wetlands

Water Monitoring

The District understands that data collection and decisions based on sound science are critical to protecting, managing, and restoring water resources. Because of the dynamic and the ever-changing nature of water resources, the District operates an extensive lake and stream management program.

Data is collected year-round on lakes, streams, wetlands, and ponds. This work requires a coordinated effort with city partners and other regional partners. Volunteers also contribute to this work, through service learning internships at the District, as well as through other programs like the Metropolitan Council’s Citizen Assisted Monitoring Program, supported by local cities, and the county’s Wetland Health Evaluation Program.

Continuous Collection

Partnership and coordination are an important part of water resource management. The Watershed Outfall Monitoring Program is administered by the Metropolitan Council.

These stations continuously monitor flow and the concentrations of pollutants such as phosphorous and sediment near the outlet of each creek. The work is part of the Metropolitan Council’s long-term monitoring program which identifies pollutant loads entering the Minnesota River (5).

Increasing Capacity with DIY Technology

The amount of data that can be collected is often limited by cost. Conventional monitoring equipment can be very expensive. In 2018 the District began working with the company LimnoTech to implement EnviroDIY technology into everyday District water monitoring and data collection.

Using open-source code and inexpensive components in the “Do It Yourself” tradition, these stations are a reliable, cost-efficient alternative to monitoring stations used by the District in the past. Not only is there the added benefit of staff being able to edit and troubleshoot sensor/station programming on their own, but these stations are set up to allow for staff, and eventually the public, to access and review real-time data remotely. Additionally, staff can deploy these for Education and Outreach Programming, so kids can instantly compare water quality they collected with the logger data.

Understanding Creek Health

With three distinct creek watersheds, spanning different communities, ecosystems, and topographies, it can be challenging to prioritize restoration projects. To address this need, the District developed the Creek Restoration Action Strategy (CRAS) 2015.

The CRAS was built to be a comprehensive, yet straightforward ranking system. It integrates multiple assessments including water quality, stream stability, and habitat to determine which creek reaches are healthiest, and which could use help. The strategy also incorporates human factors like partnership opportunities and public education into the ranking. After assessing the entire length of each creek, the District now returns to reaches on a rotating schedule to update the assessment and track changes over time. The CRAS has lead to the identification of multiple high priority restoration sites, where projects are planned to be conducted. The Minnesota Association of Watershed Districts awarded CRAS the “Program of the Year” award in 2015 (3).

Peering Into the Past

Paleolimnology is the study of lake sediment to gain insights into the history of a lake's health and ecosystem. Looking back 150 to 200 years, we can get an idea of how a lake was prior to European settlement and urbanization. A long tube is pushed down through the lake sediment to collect a core sample several meters long. Researchers then look at the chemical composition of the soil as well as the abundance of microorganisms, called diatoms, and the rate of sediment accumulation (6).

In the last few years, the District has worked with the St. Croix Watershed Research Station at the Science Museum of Minnesota to conduct Paleolimnology studies in several lakes. These include Mitchell, Lotus, Round, Silver and Rice Marsh Lakes.

Most of the reports show data consistent with known developmental periods - sediment accumulation and phosphorus levels increase sharply when the local area is developed, and the microorganisms respond accordingly.

For example, both Lotus Lake and Round Lake used to be mesotrophic lakes (7) (medium nutrient levels and biological productivity, and clear water (8)). Because of human changes to the landscape, they have become eutrophic (7) (high nutrients and high productivity)

Since the early 2000s, management actions and regulations have allowed these two lakes, as well as all others in the District, to return to sedimentation levels almost as low as pre-settlement times (6-9). This does not mean the lakes have returned to pre-settlement conditions, but they are healthier, and likely to improve with continued attention.

Part 4: Researching Solutions

Once there is a clear understanding of the health of a waterbody, a management decision needs to be made. Sometimes, the path forward is clear. Other times, there may not be an easy solution. Investing in research to discover and test new solutions to clean water problems has helped the District advance its understanding and implement projects to protect clean water and healthy habitat.

Use Attainability Analyses

A Use Attainability Analysis (UAAs) is a study that uses an outcome-based evaluation and planning process to obtain or maintain water quality conditions and achieve beneficial uses in a water body, such as swimming, fishing, or wildlife habitat. UAAs include a water quality analysis to identify sources of pollution. Then, the study identifies possible remedial measures for the lakes and their respective watersheds to protect and restore their health based on historical water quality data, the results of intensive lake water quality monitoring, and computer simulations of land use impacts on water quality. The District initiated the first round of UAAs as part of its 1996 water management plan. The studies were updated roughly 10 years later to incorporate additional monitoring data, improved understanding of the resources, emerging treatment technologies, and changing climate conditions. These studies form much of the foundation for the projects included in the District’s 10 Year Watershed Management Plan (24).

Carp Questions

Originally introduced as game fish, common carp reduce water quality, uproot native vegetation, stir up silt, disturb the spawning areas of native fish, and produce enough excess waste that it contributes to algal blooms (16). In the early 2000s, the District began working with University of Minnesota researchers Peter Sorensen and Prezemek Bajer to study carp populations in District lakes. The goals were to better understand carp behavior and use that information to improve control strategies.

These researchers were the first to use a method known as “Judas Tagging” (electronic monitoring tags) to monitor the carp’s winter habits, and discovered that the fish will often congregate in certain areas of a lake. This makes winter netting and removing of carp a highly efficient management option (17).

Work began in the Riley Creek Chain of lakes (Ann, Lucy, Rice Marsh, Riley, Susan). In 2007, almost half of all fish in Lake Susan were carp (18), and that winter the researchers were able to remove 78% of them - approximately 20,000 pounds (19). The impact water quality was notable. In May of 2009, the water clarity was 15ft, a 6ft increase from the previous year. In fact, the results were too good; the increased clarity allowed more light into the lake, but because native vegetation destroyed by the carp hadn’t yet recovered, as the summer progressed there were massive algae blooms. Professor Ray Newman started a project in July of that year to reintroduce native vegetation. By November, the native vegetation had taken hold, and in some places coverage increased from 5% to 60% (20).

By 2010, 80% of the carp in lakes Ann, Lucy, Rice Marsh, Riley and Susan was removed (21). Similar research was also conducted in the Purgatory Creek lakes. Though the study has ended, the District continues to manage carp populations by tag monitoring, summer electro-fishing and winter seining activities. The District also stocks bluegill, which eat carp eggs, into some lakes for carp control, and operates an aeration unit on Rice Marsh Lake to keep the bluegill population thriving during the winter. The reduced number of carp has also made it possible to implement other water quality improvement projects, such as alum treatments and native plant reintroduction.

Working Together for Round Lake

Improving Round Lake’s water quality was of increasing concern after the District’s 1999 Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) report that showed phosphorus levels were up 50% and water clarity was down 50% since 1972 (3). The problems came from the increased urban stormwater runoff, and excessive geese waste that fostered unhealthy bacteria and algal blooms.

During a beach closure from 2000 to 2001, Eden Prairie installed a “beach curtain” to prevent algae from reaching the swimming area, and a 4-ft tall fence on shore to keep geese out of the park area. At the request of the City, the District oversaw Greener Pastures Development Cooperation’s treatment of Round Lake and nine stormwater ponds with an experimental microorganism-based treatment for algae (4), but it wasn’t as effective as hoped. Following this, the lake was closed from 2004 to 2007 (5).

In 2002, Eden Prairie petitioned the District to start a stormwater pond project that would reduce the amount of phosphorus flowing into the lake by about 18-25% (6). The project involved improving three existing stormwater ponds and creating one new one, and was completed in 2010 (7). Eden Prairie followed up this project with an Alum treatment in 2012 (8) to blanket the bottom of the lake and prevent phosphorus in the bottom sediment from being released back into the water. These many efforts work together, and water quality in Round Lake has begun to improve.

An Alum Attempt

On Lake Susan, the District initiated its first alum treatment for phosphorus control in 1998.

Alum is short for Aluminum Sulphate (Al2[SO4]3 n H2O), a non-toxic compound “commonly used in water treatment plants to help clarify drinking water” (14). When it comes in contact with the water, it becomes Aluminum Hydroxide (Al2[OH]3), which is able to bind to phosphorus. Alum sinks to the bottom of the lake and traps phosphorus in the sediment , preventing it from being released into the water or used to feed algae blooms.

Although phosphorus levels decreased in Lake Susan for 3 years, the treatment did not create a lasting difference as expected (12). It was later determined that these results were due to under-application. Even though the results were not what the District had hoped for, they were helpful. The treatment on Lake Susan helped the District to better estimate how much Alum is required for a lake. The results have also been used in studies comparing alum treatments in different lakes around the world (13) so that the scientific community can better understand and apply this strategy of phosphorus management.

Evolving Management in Hyland Lake

In 1975, the District completed a four year water quality study for Hyland lake, focused on finding solutions to persistent poor water quality conditions. In 1977, the District partnered with the Hennepin County Park Reserve District to initiate the Hyland Lake Restoration Project. The project consisted of four main components, with the goal of restoring the eutrophic lake to allow for recreational use and game fishing (1).

The first component was an outlet from Hyland Lake to Colorado Pond to the Southwest, in order to control the water level in the pond. The second component was an aeration and recirculation system to help fish survive winter low-oxygen conditions.

The third part of the plan involved draining the lake to remove the poor quality water and allow phosphorus in the sediment to oxidize, before refilling the lake from a well. Groundwater is known to be low in nutrients, allowing for clear water, and so to maintain the water quality, the initial plan accounted for pumping over 100,000,000 gallons (about 2/3 of the lake volume) from the well into the lake each year (2) (this process has been discontinued). To help deal with excess water from this filling process, a groundwater recharge basin (overflow pond) was created at the western edge (1).

Though draining and refilling lakes to reduce phosphorus is still done today, it is usually only used in extreme circumstances. The annual refilling of a lake from groundwater aquifers is not considered a sustainable solution, and shows an evolution in thinking about lake management.

Finally, the district created a stormwater pond on the northern edge of Hyland Lake (1). In 1977, when the project was being completed, stormwater ponds were a new strategy and considered experimental - it wasn’t until 1981 that a federal study confirmed their effectiveness. Today, they are considered a key tool for watershed management.

Understanding Stormwater Ponds

Stormwater ponds are an important tool for watershed health, and have been the primary strategy to control stormwater runoff since the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program’s report in 1983 (9). They help control flow rate, preventing large fluctuations in water levels, and settle pollutants out of stormwater before it reaches the lakes and streams. But not all stormwater ponds are created equal; some are very efficient, others may actually make problems worse (10).

Despite their importance, there is little understanding of what makes an individual stormwater pond successful or not. In 2010, the District began a long-term monitoring study of local stormwater ponds (11), and is currently a partner in four different studies of stormwater ponds. The collected data has been requested worldwide for various research (10).

Aquatic Invasive Species

One of the District’s most persistent concerns is the management of invasive species. Two of these species are eurasian watermilfoil and curlyleaf pondweed, both of which are aquatic plants that have a tendency to out-compete native counterparts and decrease lake health and recreation opportunities.

From 2015 to 2017, the District partnered with Dr. Ray Newman of the University of Minnesota to study a variety of treatment methods on Lakes Susan, Staring and Riley to find which are the most effective at managing invasive plants while allowing native vegetation to take root and thrive for long term control (15).

Recycling Stormwater & Lime

In 2013, the District partnered with the City of Chanhassen on a water quality and conservation project at Lake Susan. The project included two components: phosphorus removal and stormwater reuse. For the phosphorus removal component, a new method was chosen: spent lime.

When phosphorus in the water comes into contact with the lime (which is left over from drinking water treatment) it binds to it and is filtered out (22). Spent Lime is a promising but relatively new strategy, and this is the first time the District is using it. The facility was completed in 2018. The District has been conducting tests on the lime and facility as a whole in order to best understand and fine-tune this new technology.

The partnership also included a water reuse system at Lake Susan Park Pond. The city pumps water from the pond to irrigate their baseball fields (22). When the pump is not being used for irrigation, it instead diverts to a newly built iron-sand filtration system to remove excess phosphorus. Water is filtered through sand mixed with iron filings. The sand filters out phosphorus particulates, and when the iron rusts it removes dissolved phosphorus (23).

Part 5: Implementing Projects

Over the past fifty years, the District has worked with its partners to implement many projects. Explore these panels to learn about a few through history, and discover something new. None of these projects would have been possible with out the many partners that are a part of the watershed district community.

Lotus Lake Low Impact Development

This project, first proposed in 2008 and completed in 2012, involved constructing a series of landscape features focused on reducing erosion and pollution runoff (6). Low Impact Development, or LID, refers to a set of practices way of development that tries to treat stormwater onsite, mimicking natural systems.

These methods included several re-grading projects, and the creation of boulder swales - a cascade of rocks used to slow down runoff water, increase infiltration, filter pollutants and reduce erosion. At the end of these re-grading efforts were several rain gardens, or bioretention cells, where excess water, sediment and other debris can be captured to support native vegetation and biodiversity (7). Taken as a whole, these projects restore damaged ecosystems, improve soil health, reduce risk to infrastructure, and protect Lotus Lake from flooding and urban pollution.

Alum: Setting the Conditions for Success

A 2003 study by the District identified alum treatments in Rice Marsh Lake and Lake Riley as measures that could help improve water quality in both lakes. Both lakes had high levels of phosphorus which feeds algae growth. Some of that phosphorus stays in the water column, and some builds up in the sediment.

Alum is short for Aluminum Sulphate (Al2[SO4]3 n H2O), a non-toxic compound “commonly used in water treatment plants to help clarify drinking water” (4). When it comes in contact with the water, it becomes Aluminum Hydroxide (Al2[OH]3), which is able to bind to the phosphorus in the sediment so that it cannot be released into the water and used by algae. One treatment can reduce phosphorus loading by 80% and last up to 8 years (4). The high levels of phosphorus in Rice Marsh Lake are likely due in part to the operation of a wastewater treatment plant on Rice Marsh Lake’s southern shore from 1959 to 1972 (4).

Alum treatments only work well in lakes where most of the phosphorus is internal, or coming from the sediments, and without heavy currents or carp that would stir up the bottom. Because of the problem with carp in these lakes, the alum treatments were postponed until carp were successfully managed. The first dose of the Lake Riley treatment was conducted in 2016, and Rice Marsh Lake in 2018.

Stabilizing Steeps Slopes

The District began planning for the Lower Riley Creek Stabilization Project in 2016, in partnership with the City of Eden Prairie, and is scheduled to begin construction in fall 2019. The area was first evaluated during the 2007 Lake Riley Outlet Improvement project, and flagged due to significant erosion (11). This was then followed up by the 2015 Creek Restoration Action Strategy (CRAS) Report, which listed Lower Riley Creek as the highest priority project.

The project area includes 4,600 ft of Lower Riley Creek (Reach E) between Eden Prairie Road and Dell Road, as well as 375 ft of ravine (Site D3) that carries urban runoff to the creek. The project plans include reducing erosion, improving water quality, and improving natural stream habitat for aquatic organisms (11). To accomplish this goal, the plan includes a variety of improvement strategies, listed below. Each of them will provide either greater stream depth variability, more channel bed substructure types, or varied channel velocities.

The proposed Project will require modification or replacement of 5 storm sewer outfalls within the extents of Reach E - two 24 inch lines, two 12 inch lines and one 18 inch line. There is also one stormwater pond on the west side of the Creek, and several small infiltration basins on the east side. All other stormwater either infiltrates or flows by gravity to Riley Creek (12). The District is lucky to have both the City of Eden Prairie and the Lower Minnesota River Watershed District as project partners.

Restoring the Land

In places that frequently experience flooding, restoring natural wetland areas can be an effective way to manage water. As climate change is predicted to bring more extreme precipitation, healthy wetlands are important in preparing for the future.

In July and August of 2019, the District purchased two houses near the intersection of Pioneer Trail and Highway 101 in Chanhassen. These buildings, along with a third house to be purchased by the City of Chanhassen in fall of 2019, will be demolished in order to create a large wetland restoration area.

This project comes as a solution to a long history of wetland drainage and local flooding. In the 1960s, wetlands in this part of the city were drained in order to build new houses. Since then, homeowners in the area have dealt with flooding and other issues as a result of their location on the filled-in wetland. In 2014, one of the homeowners approached the City of Chanhassen about putting in a larger outlet at a lower elevation, in order to decrease flooding on the property. However, this would effectively drain the wetland, which is prohibited by the 1991 Wetland Conservation Act. Draining the wetland would also have negative impacts on the local ecosystem and on water quality in nearby Bluff Creek.

Instead, the City of Chanhassen partnered with RPBCWD in 2016 to find other solutions for the homeowners. After a series of discussions, it was decided that the houses would instead be sold to the District and demolished for the purpose of wetland restoration. Half of the funding for the two houses purchased by the District comes from the Department of Natural Resources Flood Hazard Mitigation grant program and the other half comes from District tax levies, as approved by the District’s 2018 Overall Management Plan. The District has also received a Clean Water Land and Legacy grant to complete the project.

Demolition of the three houses is scheduled for winter of 2019/ 2020, and construction of the wetland restoration area will begin in summer of 2020. Wetland vegetation will be planted in the fall of 2020 and spring of 2021. After the project is completed, the District plans on at least three years of maintenance, and will work with Carver County to connect existing multi-use trail systems to the new wetland area. Ultimately, this project will provide important flood storage, help stabilize flow rates into Bluff Creek, and protect three homes from flooding. It will also provide important habitat benefits for plants and wildlife, and provide recreation opportunities for local residents.

Consulting Our Community

Working directly with members of the community is central to building resiliency in the District. In 2017, the District hosted a series of community resiliency workshops to engage local residents in preparing for the future.

Participants in the community focused on three sectors of the community and impacts from locally changing climate: impacts on society, impacts on the environment, and impacts to built infrastructure.

Primary areas of concern for people in the District include impacts to vulnerable populations, maintenance of important routes during emergencies, and drinking water supply during droughts. To address these concerns, attendees recommended that the District continue working with cities to protect important routes from flooding, develop education around drinking water supply and potential shortages, and translate EMS emergency response instructions into different languages spoken within the District.

Areas of concern impacting the environment include aquifer drawdown in droughts, stormwater pollution, invasive species, and other ecological impacts. Attendees recommended public education campaigns on important issues, studies of slopes vulnerable to erosion, and continued partnership with other local agencies working to address similar issues.

Primary impacts of concern to the built infrastructure in the District include homes in areas of high risk from landslides, culverts at critical road crossings during extreme weather, and interest in addressing erosion within RIley Creek. To address these concerns, participants recommended that the District repair erosion damage along Riley Creek, identify culverts that could be damaged during exterme weather events, continue to evaluate stormwater pond effectiveness, and work with homeowners to prepare for the future.

This planning effort was used to inform the District’s updated 10-year plan, which was published in 2018.

Part 7: Our Community In Action

Community-scale problems require community-scale actions, and water quality is an issue that affects and belongs to all. The District is fortunate to have a community that is committed to protecting, managing, and restoring water resources.

Voicing Citizen Views

The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) is a volunteer advisory board that supports the District’s board of managers in their mission to protect, manage, and restore water resources.

As representatives of citizen interests, committee members advise the board on decision making, communicate concerns from the public, and help educate the community on clean water action. The CAC is a core part of the district’s regular functions, and CAC members throughout the District’s history have helped to shape important local decisions.

Members of the CAC also work to shape some of the ways in which the district welcomes the broader community into water stewardship. Volunteer clean-up projects, wetland walk outreach events, new partnerships, and other projects have stemmed from CAC volunteers.

Local Leaders In Water Protection

Seven different cities have boundaries that intersect with those of the District, as do two counties and a soil and water conservation district. Not to mention the many regional and state agencies that the District interacts with on a monthly, weekly, or even daily basis. The partnership of these agencies and organizations make the work of protecting clean water possible.

Partnership is a two-way (or more) street. Some of the projects, events, and programs the District partners on are internal ideas. But just as often, the ideas come from the staff and leadership of local cities and other organizations, or through brainstorming sessions and needs assessments. Looking back through the projects discussed in other sections, you’ll see clearly how these partnerships make the work of protecting, managing, and restoring water resources possible.

Citizen Scientists On The Lookout

Lakeshore residents in the District have long been strong advocates for clean water. They also serve as an important resource for the District because of their close and frequent interactions with water resources. One such example is through the Adopt-a-Dock monitoring program, which engages dock owners to check underwater monitoring plates monthly for the presence of zebra mussels. Since 2015, volunteers have monitored lakes across the district, to supplement invasive species monitoring efforts by District staff. This type of citizen science both empowers local residents to contribute meaningful data to ongoing projects, and builds capacity within District research projects.

Businesses Making A Difference

Businesses and professionals are an important part of this watershed community, and the decisions that they make can have lasting impacts on local water resources.

Business campuses often have large footprints, and their own community of employees or members who are impacted by the organization’s culture. Professionals may be private businesses or government, and are those who do work that impacts water resources. These include individuals who manage winter snow and ice, turf grass, water conservation and habitat restoration, as well as landscapers, builders and developers.

By attending classes for turf grass management, learning about smart salting, installing advanced stormwater management strategies, and more, many businesses in this community have shown a commitment to improving their practices. Learning about these important topics and making changes can often save money and time, and help protect the environment.

Supporting Great Work

The Watershed Stewardship Grant program is an essential part of the District’s efforts to empower and assist community members to protect and improve local waterways.

Formerly known as the Cost Share Program, the Watershed Stewardship Grant program offers financial support and resources to District residents and organizations that are implementing water protection projects. Since it began in 2013, the program has contributed funds to many projects across the district, including installation of stormwater best management practices, purchases of environmentally-friendly equipment, and native habitat restorations.

Educator mini-grants were added to the grant program in 2016 and are designed to support educators in incorporating water resources into their teaching. Action grants were added to the program in 2019 and are small, simple grants for team projects that protect clean water. These grants help our broader community --residents, local businesses, students, and other groups-- plan and implement projects that improve water quality and support education goals.