East Auburn Wetland Restoration

Overview

The East Auburn wetland corridor is a system of wetlands originating at the outlet of Wassermann Lake and flowing north toward Highway 5 to the inlet of East Auburn Lake in Victoria. The wetland corridor includes part of Six Mile Creek and contains several types of wetlands. MCWD is partnering with the City of Victoria to plan a restoration of the East Auburn Wetland, which will improve water quality flowing toward East Auburn Lake. The project will reduce phosphorus, a nutrient that pollutes freshwater ecosystems.

MCWD has worked with the City of Victoria to improve water quality in many of the lakes in the Six Mile Creek-Halsted Bay Subwatershed, which is the headwaters of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed. Water quality improvements in this area will also impact water quality downstream. MCWD’s research and monitoring team determined that the water flowing out of the East Auburn Wetland has the highest nutrient loading in the corridor, making it a key target for a significant restoration in the area.