Painter Creek Restoration – Highway 26 Wetland

Overview

In 2008, MCWD restored a wetland adjacent to Painter Creek. This wetland restoration project involved excavating a new channel meander to direct flows from Painter Creek across the wetland to improve nutrient removal. To allow the new channel meander to function, an existing weir was also lowered, and a new weir was installed near County Road 26 to allow water to flow into the new meander. The restored wetlands now filter excess nutrients that flow in Painter Creek toward Lake Minnetonka’s Jennings Bay.  

Jennings Bay of Lake Minnetonka is listed as impaired because of excess nutrients coming from Painter Creek. The lower levels of Painter Creek are also impaired from E. coli bacteria. Studies have shown that dissolved phosphorus plays a key role in the poor water quality of Jennings Bay. Recognizing that traditional methods of pollutant reduction would not be effective in reducing loading from the dissolved form of phosphorus, the wetland restoration was proposed to restore a natural system in this previously ditched area of the watershed.