Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Monitoring High Water
Posted on 22 May, 2014Recent rains have caused high water levels on lakes and streams throughout the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD).
In response to the high water level at Lake Minnetonka, MCWD is currently discharging water at the Gray’s Bay Dam at a rate of 300 cubic feet per second to reduce flooding on Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek. Also, there is approximately 97 cubic feet per second of additional water flowing over the emergency spillway north of the Dam. The spillway is a fixed structure that allows for unrestricted release of water when the lake rises above 930 feet.
Due to high, fast-moving water, downed trees and other debris, Minnehaha Creek is not safe for paddling until further notice. Downed trees are blocking the creek east of Hopkins Crossroads and some bridge underpasses are not navigable because of insufficient clearance for watercraft. The creek extends from Lake Minnetonka in the west and flows east for 22 miles through several suburbs west of Minneapolis and then through south Minneapolis and Minnehaha Park to the Mississippi River.
MCWD Operations & Maintenance Department staff will continue to monitor water levels on Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek daily as long as high water levels persist.
For updates on creek conditions, visit http://www.minnehahacreek.org
Contact
MCWD
Telly Mamayek, Communications Director
Office: 952-641-4508
Cell: 952-594-5672
tmamayek@minnehahacreek.org
MPRB
Robin Smothers, Communication and Marketing
612-230-6410
rsmothers@minneapolisparks.org