LAKE MINNETONKA
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2026
MCWD: Guardians of the Watershed
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District was established in 1967 and has since managed and protected all of the water that drains into Minnehaha Creek, covering 178 square miles. Lake Minnetonka is a significant part of the watershed.
The district was created to address flooding along Minnehaha Creek and Lake Minnetonka. One of the district’ s first tasks was constructing a dam where Lake Minnetonka meets Minnehaha Creek.
The Gray’ s Bay Dam has many management goals, including reducing flooding by controlling the lake’ s discharge into the creek, keeping water in the creek during dry periods, enhancing recreation, wildlife and aquatic life, maintaining or improving water conditions as well as aesthetics.
The district achieves these goals by using an operating plan developed alongside local, state and federal partners. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and local communities approved this plan.
Each fall, Lake Minnetonka is drawn down to an elevation of 928.6 feet. Lowering the elevation allows the lake to be used as a storage basin. The district moderates the pace and adjusts discharge rates into Minnehaha Creek as a flood prevention measure.
The National Weather Service, U. S. Geological Survey and Hennepin County are all partners in responding to record flooding and handling future unpredictable weather and climate change.
The purpose is to improve predictions for rain events and understand how they impact water levels. Each partner offers customized data to help the district operate the dam and prevent flooding in the lake and creek.
For more information, visit minnehahacreek. org / water-levels.
2026 | LAKE MINNETONKA GUIDE | 41