Water Levels Decrease as Fall Begins
Water levels across the Minnehaha Creek Watershed have decreased over the past two weeks, following above normal precipitation and severe storms in the month of August. Minnehaha Creek is currently flowing at normal, paddling conditions (75-150 cubic feet per second (cfs)), and Lake Minnetonka has been below its Ordinary High Water (OHW) level for the past 12 days.
In accordance with its operating plan, Gray’s Bay Dam discharge was decreased to 50 cfs on Monday, Sept. 9, after discharging 100 cfs since Aug. 14, to balance the lake level and flows in the creek. During late summer and fall, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) operates the dam to gradually lower the lake toward its natural runout elevation, 928.6 feet, which is the desired level for ice-in, as prescribed by the operating plan.
also in this update
- August ended with storms that brought intense rain and strong winds
- 2024 Precipitation Trends and Forecasts
- Current Water Levels
- Gray’s Bay Dam Operations
- Water Level Resources