Current status:

Carp management began in the summer of 2018. Sign up for subwatershed project update emails.

About this project: 

Over the next ten years, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD or District) and its partners will engage in one of the Twin Cities metro's largest habitat restoration and water quality enhancement projects: the restoration of 2,488 acres of in-lake habitat across 14 connected deep and shallow lakes and the creation of corridors of restored wetland and uplands in the Six Mile-Halsted Bay Subwatershed (SMHB), one of the largest tributaries to Lake Minnetonka. 

The SMHB is one of the District's focal geographies. With our partners (listed below), we'll be working to align priorities and investments across agencies to accomplish large-scale habitat, corridor, and water resource restoration objectives, including larger-scale wetland restorations, additional rough fish management, in-lake and watershed phosphorus reduction, or others.

Managing the subwatershed's large population of common carp is the first phase in our comprehensive restoration of the SMHB, which will restore 2,488 acres of shallow lake habitat, benefiting game and non-game fish species, improving wildlife habitat for waterfowl, and address water quality issues for the 14 lakes that are listed by the state as being impaired.

Current Status

There will be two formal presentations on the 90% design phase in October:

1. Edina City Council, Tuesday, October 2, 7pm, Edina City Hall (4801 W 50th St, Edina)
2. MCWD Board of Managers, Thursday, October 11, 7pm, MCWD (15320 Minnetonka Blvd, Minnetonka)

A new fact sheet has been created to answer some recent questions.

The City of Edina and the MCWD approved a cooperative agreement to advance the Arden Park Restoration Project Concept Plan into the design phase. Project design based on the concept plan will progress throughout 2018 with opportunities for community engagement at key milestones throughout project development. Throughout December and January, the design team will be collecting more technical data to inform design, refining the planned stream alignment to avoid trees, and developing stormwater management designs.

Sign up to receive regular Arden Park project update emails.

About this Project

The City of Edina and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District are partnering to improve the creek, habitat and the public use experience in Arden Park. A conceptual plan was developed based on public input received over a period of 12 months. The plan is a balance of enhancements to the park that improve fish passage, wildlife habitat and water quality, while retaining the park’s natural character. Proposed project elements include replacing the 4-foot dam at 54th Street with a rock rapids upstream, re-meandering the creek, and providing more access for fishing and other recreation. Project design based on the concept plan will progress throughout 2018 with opportunities for community engagement at key milestones throughout project development.