Open house on Nokomis area water issues set for October 24

A multi-agency partnership looking into issues around higher groundwater levels in the Nokomis area of south Minneapolis will host an open house to share information and hear concerns later this month.

As part of efforts to keep area residents informed and engaged, the Nokomis Area Groundwater and Surface Water Evaluation team will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 6-8 pm at Lynnhurst Recreation Center, 1345 W Minnehaha Parkway. 

No formal presentations are planned, but staff from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, City of Minneapolis, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Department of Natural Resources and Hennepin County will be on hand to provide information and answer questions on a variety of topics related to groundwater and surface water issues in the area.

For the past several years, residents in the Nokomis area of Minneapolis have expressed concerns over rising groundwater levels and higher water levels in Lake Nokomis. Concerns include impacts to sewer infrastructure and standing water in previously dry areas near Lake Nokomis and Solomon Parks. 

In response,a multi-agency partnership was launched to better understand what’s going on with groundwater and surface water levels in the area. Actions taken to date include:

  • Four observation wells have been installed at Solomon Park and Nokomis Park to provide better information about groundwater levels and movement in the area.
  • Two deeper bedrock aquifer wells will be installed in the near future. The six wells together will provide additional information about groundwater levels and movement in the area, including vertical movement of groundwater.
  • An interagency technical team consisting of hydrologists, geologists, planners, ecologists and engineers has met four times to analyze existing data and identify needs for further information.
  • Lake Nokomis water level data have been analyzed in relation to what is known about the soils and geology in the area, as well as in relation to the location of residential reports of groundwater issues with sewer laterals or foundations.

More information, and an opportunity to sign up for email updates, is available on the project website at www.minneapolismn.gov/publicworks/stormwater/nokomisgroundwater.


Nokomis Area Water Issues Open House

Date: Wednesday Oct. 24, 2018
Time: 6-8 pm
Location: Lynnhurst Recreation Center
Address: 1345 W Minnehaha Parkway
Topics: Staff from the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board, City of Minneapolis, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, Department of Natural Resources and Hennepin County will be on hand to provide information and answer questions on a variety of topics related to groundwater and surface water issues in the area.