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Minnehaha Creek Watershed District outlines projects and flood planning for Carver County
Summary
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District officials updated the Carver County Board on completed restorations, near-term projects and 2027 watershed planning, highlighting wetland restorations, carp management and new sensor-driven flood forecasting.
James Whisker, executive director of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, told the Carver County Board on Feb. 11 that the district has leveraged partnerships and science-based planning to direct nearly $2,000,000 in outside funding to projects in Carver County.
The update focused on completed and underway work in the upper watershed — including wetland restorations, a large common-carp management effort at Wassermann Lake, the acquisition of 33 acres for the Wassermann Preserve, and emerging plans for a 2027 watershed management plan that will emphasize integrated flood mitigation and real-time monitoring.
Whisker said the district has taken a locally tailored approach because the watershed spans 178 square miles and 29 communities with wide differences in impervious surface and land use. “When properly integrated, we really view … watershed work as an essential component of building thriving communities,” Whisker said, adding that the district’s strategy pairs science with partner objectives such as transportation, parks and community development.
The presentation listed specific accomplishments: nearly $250,000 to treat roughly 22 acres of runoff before it reaches Auburn Lake; integration of wetland restorations into residential developments with homebuilder Lennar that restored about 20 acres on site; nearly $1 million in state funds for one of Minnesota’s largest common carp management efforts in the Allen Dosing/Wassermann system; and acquisition of 33 acres to form the Wassermann Preserve with public access and a picnic shelter.
Whisker described projects in the Arboretum area transportation plan — including County Road 5, County Road 11 and Trunk Highway 5 upgrades — and said the watershed staff worked with county and park engineers to avoid increasing hundred‑year flood storage while meeting regulatory requirements. He noted the U.S. Army Corps had expressed a preference for wetland banking for mitigation, and that the county currently lacks a wetland bank within its Minnehaha-Watershed portion.
On flood planning, Whisker emphasized weather volatility. He said an accumulated surplus of roughly three feet of rainfall since the 2014 flood of record has raised groundwater and reduced storage, amplifying flood risk from smaller storms. To respond, the district has deployed a real‑time sensor network and is using machine learning with gauged responses to improve short‑term forecasts for emergency managers. Whisker also described a legislatively funded hydrologic and hydraulic model that integrates storm sewer data across 29 cities to help prioritize where investments will protect the most properties per dollar.
Board members asked about performance at Wassermann and management in upstream lakes such as Pearson and Marsh Lake. Whisker said Wassermann “has seen Wasserman Lake trend towards hitting state standards for water quality for the first time in its monitored history,” and that the headwater lakes are generally meeting standards though ongoing work and partnership with landowners remain necessary. He also discussed Zumbra/Stone/Sunny lake hydraulics and engineering coordination with 3 Rivers Park District on culvert replacements to reduce clogging while avoiding increases to flood stage.
The district and county also described a memorandum of understanding with the city of Victoria to coordinate a greenway, explore a potential 30+ acre wetland bank near Turbid Lake, and restore 11 acres of wetlands between Wassermann and Auburn Lakes to reduce phosphorus loading.
Looking ahead, Whisker said the 2027 watershed plan will engage partners on an integrated flood mitigation plan to balance upstream and downstream needs, preserve wetland storage in the rural west, and plan for retrofit/urban storage in more developed eastern subwatersheds.
The board received the report and followed with questions but no formal vote on district programs during the presentation. The watershed staff said they will continue technical coordination with county engineers on the Arboretum area transportation projects and pursue wetland‑banking opportunities supportive of county growth plans.
