For generations, Minnesotans have valued and enjoyed the water bodies of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD). For early settlers, they were important transportation corridors and sources of food and water. In the late 1800s, Minnehaha Creek became an international tourist destination as a result of Longfellow’s poem “Song of Hiawatha.” And in the mid 1920s, Lake Minnetonka became home to one of Minnesota’s earliest amusement parks, located just along its shore in current-day Excelsior. Currently, homeowners depend on valuable natural resources to maintain their property values, provide recreation and quiet reflection, and for the conservation of wildlife and other natural resources.

Historical timeline of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (years only). Click each bubble for more information. View a larger version here.