Cedar Meadows Retrofit

Overview

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD), in partnership with the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), is exploring opportunities to retrofit the Cedar Meadows regional stormwater management system and enhance its effectiveness. Constructed in 1996 as part of the 1990s Clean Water Partnership, the system includes a stormwater pond and adjacent wetland designed to capture runoff from 1,932 acres in Minneapolis and St. Louis Park before it flows into Cedar Lake. Because the system treats 90% of Cedar Lake’s drainage area, maintaining its effectiveness is critical to protecting water quality in Cedar Lake and its downstream waterbodies, including the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Minnehaha Creek, and impaired Lake Hiawatha.

Recent performance monitoring indicates the 30-year-old system could be retrofitted to significantly improve its ability to capture, retain, and treat stormwater, reducing external nutrient loading to Cedar Lake. MCWD is conducting additional monitoring to identify effective retrofit strategies, which could include improvements to the system’s diversion infrastructure, internal hydraulics, or elevation control. In addition to stormwater improvements, there is an opportunity to revitalize surrounding trails, boardwalks, vegetation, and site aesthetics, which MPRB has identified as a priority in its 2023 Cedar-Isles Plan.