Arden Park, Minnehaha River, Minnesota
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) and the City of Edina contracted Inter-Fluve as part of a team to analyze and design a restoration plan for Minnehaha Creek within Arden Park. The project included significant public outreach to capture community goals and sentiment relative to the existing park and dam. The final design was constructed in 2019. Fish passage was improved and natural stream function restored via removal of a 4-foot dam and re-meandering 2,000 ft of the creek. The project also enhances wildlife habitat and natural vegetation, improves water quality by treating over 100 acres of untreated urban runoff, and provides improved and increased recreation access for fishing, kayakers, paddle boarders and tubers.
The Arden Park project provides improved and increased recreation access for fishing, kayakers, paddle boarders and tubers.
The project improved fish passage and restored natural stream function by removing a 4-foot dam that was located adjacent to the new canoe launch in the photo above.
Swimmers at the former location of a 4-foot tall dam.
Constructed in 2019, Arden Park was a popular summertime hangout for swimming, dog walks and picnics by summer 2020.