June Ends with Severe Weather
Following last week’s heavy rain, most of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed received over 1 inch of precipitation during a severe storm beginning Saturday, June 28, 2025, through Sunday, June 29. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued severe thunderstorm warnings for the region late Saturday night as the storm produced heavy rainfall — dropping 0.5 to over 1 inch within an hour — and high winds, including two EF1 tornados near Victoria.
Intense end-of-June rainfall elevated water levels
Rainfall from the weekend’s storm added to already wet conditions and further elevated water levels. Significant rainfall received June 25-26 caused Lake Minnetonka to rise above its Ordinary High Water Level (OHWL) and stabilize near 929.78 feet. This past weekend’s storm and subsequent inflows from the Lake’s tributaries further increased the Lake level, which peaked at 929.95 feet and currently sits at 929.86 feet.
Flows in Minnehaha Creek peaked above 400 cubic feet per second (cfs) last week from the June 25-26 storm, causing some out of bank flow. Creek flow had started to subside ahead of the weekend storm but jumped nearly 100 cfs, peaking at 347 cfs, during the storm on Sunday, June 29. Creek flow has since receded to 312 cfs and remains at bank-full conditions.
In accordance with Zone 1 of the operating plan, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) adjusted Gray’s Bay Dam discharge to 300 cfs on Saturday, June 28, to regain storage on the Lake, while balancing Creek capacity.
The NWS is tracking a large frontal boundary moving through the region that could create passing showers and thunderstorms. The NWS forecasts this system could yield 0.5 to 0.75 inches of precipitation in the watershed beginning the evening of Friday, July 4, into Saturday, July 5. As the near-term forecast evolves, MCWD will continue coordinating with the NWS and evaluating water levels, to determine discharge rates that recover storage and balance water levels.
also in this update
- 2025 Precipitation Trends and Forecasts
- Current Water Levels
- Gray’s Bay Dam Operations
- Water Level Resources