Since 2018, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) has been working in partnership with the cities of Long Lake, Medina, and Orono, and the Long Lake Waters Association (LLWA) to develop and implement the Long Lake Creek Roadmap, to achieve lasting, regional water resource benefits for the Long Lake Creek Subwatershed.
Roadmap Implementation Update
The Long Lake Creek Roadmap outlines a suite of project opportunities throughout the Subwatershed to guide restoration efforts by MCWD and its partners. To generate long-term benefits, the Roadmap organizes these opportunities into an implementation strategy that prioritizes regional stormwater treatment and landscape projects to address external pollutant sources before in-lake management.
MCWD is currently advancing the first regional treatment projects to measurably reduce external pollutant loading to impaired Long Lake.
County Road 6 Pond Retrofit in Construction
Built in 1998, the County Road 6 Stormwater Pond captures and treats water from 3,370 acres—the largest drainage area of any Roadmap project—before it flows into Long Lake. MCWD’s retrofit will include excavation of approximately 3,000 cubic yards of accumulated sediment and installation of a sand-filter bench, to remove an additional 40 pounds of phosphorus annually. Construction began in January 2026 and is expected to be completed in early March.
Downtown Long Lake Greenprinting
In Fall 2025, MCWD began a visioning process, in coordination with the City of Long Lake, to explore feasible opportunities to treat regional stormwater and establish new green connections between the City’s parks, downtown, and lakeshore.
The partners are evaluating stormwater pond retrofits, underground treatment, ravine and channel stabilization, and other potential treatment opportunities to reduce pollutant loading while expanding public greenspace and pedestrian connections.
This planning effort is anticipated to be completed in early 2026 and will inform project implementation in partnership with the City.
also in this update
- Identifying Next Phase Projects
- Long Lake Waters Association Annual Meeting Summary