List of lakes in Minneapolis

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lakes, in blue, against a white background with the outline of Minneapolis in black
Minneapolis's lakes (dark blue); light blue bodies of water are included in the City of Minneapolis's official count but are either smaller than five acres (two hectares), channels between lakes, or entirely outside Minneapolis's borders. See other bodies of water for more.

There are 13 lakes of at least five acres (two hectares)[a] within the borders of Minneapolis in the U.S. state of Minnesota. Of these, Bde Maka Ska is the largest and deepest, covering 421 acres (170.37 ha) with a maximum depth of 89.9 feet (27.4 m). Lake Hiawatha, through which Minnehaha Creek flows, has a watershed of 115,840 acres (468.79 km2), two orders of magnitude larger than the next largest watershed in the city.[3] Ryan Lake, in the city's north, sits partially in Minneapolis and partially in neighboring Robbinsdale.[4][5] Certain other bodies of water are counted on some lists of Minneapolitan lakes, though they may fall outside the city limits or cover fewer than five acres.

Many of Minneapolis's lakes formed in the depressions left by large blocks of ice after the retreat of the

Chain of Lakes", five lakes in the southwestern portion of the city (Maka Ska, Harriet, Isles, Cedar, and Brownie) that were joined by artificial channels.[9]

Various municipal symbols and icons reference the presence of the lakes in Minneapolitan life and culture, from the sailboat in the city's logo to the ship's wheel on its flag to Minneapolis's nickname, the "City of Lakes".[11][12][13] Much of Minneapolis's lakeshore is public parkland, in contrast to other American cities where lakeside property tends to be privately controlled.[14] Since they were dredged, the lakes have drawn city residents for recreation and sport including swimming, sailing, yachting, canoeing, biking, jogging, and ice skating.[15] The 76-mile (122.3 km) Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway passes around many of Minneapolis's lakes.[10]

List of lakes

Lake Image Area Maximum depth Watershed area Coordinates Notes Refs.
Brownie Lake An aerial shot of a small, slightly oblong lake surrounded on all sides by green trees. On the upper lefthand side are some houses and another lake. The sky is overcast. 18 acres (0.07 km2) 49.9 feet (15.2 m) 369 acres (1.49 km2) 44°58′03″N 93°19′27″W / 44.9675428°N 93.3242747°W / 44.9675428; -93.3242747
  • Part of the
    Chain of Lakes
[3][9]
Cedar Lake The lake and wooded far shore of Cedar Lake on a sunny day 170 acres (0.69 km2) 50.9 feet (15.5 m) 1,956 acres (7.92 km2) 44°57′36″N 93°19′16″W / 44.9600374°N 93.3209776°W / 44.9600374; -93.3209776
  • Part of the
    Chain of Lakes
  • Previously known as Lake Snelling
[3][9][16]
Cemetery Lake Thick bright green bushes grow on the near shore of a small, clear lake; trees stand on the far shore. 11 acres (0.04 km2) Unknown Unknown 44°55′58″N 93°18′22″W / 44.9327725°N 93.3060642°W / 44.9327725; -93.3060642 [17][18][19]
Diamond Lake A placid lake reflects the clouds in the blue sky above it. A dark tree crosses the foreground. 41 acres (0.17 km2) 6.9 feet (2.1 m) 669 acres (2.71 km2) 44°54′02″N 93°16′09″W / 44.9006469°N 93.2692419°W / 44.9006469; -93.2692419 [3]
Grass Lake A thin lake extends away from the camera; spits of land extend into the lake from either side in the midground and trees surround the lake's shore. 27 acres (0.11 km2) 4.9 feet (1.5 m) 386 acres (1.56 km2) 44°53′34″N 93°17′54″W / 44.8927159°N 93.2982813°W / 44.8927159; -93.2982813 [3]
Lake Harriet An aerial view of Lake Harriet surrounded by parkland and mostly low residential buildings 353 acres (1.43 km2) 82.0 feet (25.0 m) 1,139 acres (4.61 km2) 44°55′19″N 93°18′22″W / 44.9219536°N 93.3061669°W / 44.9219536; -93.3061669
  • Part of the
    Chain of Lakes
[3][9]
Lake Hiawatha A placid lake lies under a pink/blue afternoon sky. In the foreground is a well groomed lawn and a border of plants, including a sunflower, that encircles that lake. 54 acres (0.22 km2) 23.0 feet (7.0 m) 115,840 acres (468.79 km2) 44°55′16″N 93°14′10″W / 44.9211849°N 93.2360063°W / 44.9211849; -93.2360063 [3][20]
Lake of the Isles Two small, oblong islands sit in the side of Lake of the Isles, viewed from the air on a smokey day. 103 acres (0.42 km2) 30.8 feet (9.4 m) 735 acres (2.97 km2) 44°57′18″N 93°18′35″W / 44.955087°N 93.3096144°W / 44.955087; -93.3096144
  • Part of the
    Chain of Lakes
[3][9]
Loring Lake Numerous tall buildings are visible across a small lake full of duckweed. Ducks stand among the low reeds and aquatic grasses. 8 acres (0.03 km2) 17.4 feet (5.3 m) 24 acres (0.10 km2) 44°58′08″N 93°17′04″W / 44.9689373°N 93.2844032°W / 44.9689373; -93.2844032
  • Also known as Loring Pond
[3][17]
Bde Maka Ska An aerial view of Bde Maka Ska, a mostly round lake with two nubby "legs" at its bottom end, surrounded mostly by parks and houses. Downtown Minneapolis is visible at the top of the image. 421 acres (1.70 km2) 89.9 feet (27.4 m) 2,992 acres (12.11 km2) 44°56′31″N 93°18′42″W / 44.9418644°N 93.3117332°W / 44.9418644; -93.3117332
  • Part of the
    Chain of Lakes
  • Previously known as Lake Calhoun
[3][9][21]
Lake Nokomis Gray storm clouds roll over green trees and plants that rim a choppy gray lake 204 acres (0.83 km2) 33.1 feet (10.1 m) 869 acres (3.52 km2) 44°54′31″N 93°14′31″W / 44.9086107°N 93.2420323°W / 44.9086107; -93.2420323
  • Previously known as Lake Amelia
[3][16]
Powderhorn Lake Willows sit atop a small island in the center of a small, frozen, snow-covered lake surrounded by parkland and residences. 11 acres (0.04 km2) 20.0 feet (6.1 m) 286 acres (1.16 km2) 44°56′30″N 93°15′24″W / 44.9417498°N 93.2568019°W / 44.9417498; -93.2568019 [3]
Ryan Lake A dock that widens at the end extends out into a choppy lake on a cloudy day. 18 acres (0.07 km2) 35.1 feet (10.7 m) 5,510 acres (22.30 km2) 45°02′28″N 93°19′20″W / 45.0410713°N 93.3221358°W / 45.0410713; -93.3221358 [3]

Other bodies of water

Aquatic plants cover the foreground half of a lake while the background half is open and slightly choppy. A Loch Ness Monster-esque sculpture floats in the lake.
Grass, reeds, and new trees stand before a brown lake with a highway and residences on the far shore.
Wirth Lake (top) sits in Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board-managed property in Golden Valley; Lake Mead (bottom) is less than five acres.

Some sources, including the City of Minneapolis's own geographic information system (GIS) dataset, list up to 22 lakes within the city.[17][22][23][24] The dataset lists three lakes that are not within the city's borders:[5][17]

  • Mother Lake (48 acres [0.19 km2])
  • Wirth Lake (39 acres [0.16 km2])[b]
  • Taft Lake (14 acres [0.06 km2])

The list includes some bodies of water smaller than five acres:[17]

  • Birch Lake (3.2 acres [12,949.94 m2])
  • Spring Lake (2.3 acres [9,307.77 m2])
  • Lake Mead (1.8 acres [7,284.34 m2])
  • Legion Lake (0.5 acres [2,023.43 m2])

The Minneapolis GIS dataset includes two of the channels between larger bodies of water as "lakes":[17]

  • Cedar–Isles Channel (5.4 acres [21,853.02 m2])
  • Maka Ska–Isles Channel (3.4 acres [13,759.31 m2])

Additionally, there are 46 ponds in Minneapolis.[17]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Moss et al. suggested that for a body of water to be considered a lake, it should cover at least two hectares (five acres).[1] However, there is no universally accepted criterion or set of criteria for what constitutes a lake versus a pond.[2]
  2. ^ Wirth Lake is a component of Theodore Wirth Regional Park, a Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board-managed property that is mostly located within the borders of Golden Valley.[25] The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was established in 1883 by the Minnesota Legislature and is a distinct entity from the City of Minneapolis, with its own power to levy taxes and acquire land.[26]

References

  1. ^ Daley, Jason (July 19, 2019). "Minnesota and Wisconsin Are Beefing About Who Has More Lakes". Smithsonian. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Environmental Stewardship (April 2016). "Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board 2014 Water Resources Report" (PDF). Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2016. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  3. ^ Wilson, Craig (September 2003). "Ryan Lake Trail Concept Plan" (PDF). Center for Urban and Regional Studies. University of Minnesota. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 2, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  4. ^ a b Street Map (PDF) (Map). City of Minneapolis. June 30, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 6, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  5. ^
  6. . Water-Resources Investigations Report 76-85.
  7. ^ .
  8. ^ .
  9. ^ .
  10. ^ Roper, Eric (March 18, 2015). "Revealed: The story behind Minneapolis' sailboat logo". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  11. .
  12. .
  13. .
  14. .
  15. ^ .
  16. ^ a b c d e f g "Water". OpenData Minneapolis. City of Minneapolis. June 17, 2012. Archived from the original on June 21, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2016.
  17. ^ "T. S. Roberts Bird Sanctuary Improvements Project" (PDF). Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. February 18, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  18. .
  19. ^ Felien, Ed (November 7, 2017). "The future of Hiawatha Golf Course". Southside Pride. Archived from the original on November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  20. ^ Chanen, David (January 18, 2018). "The state officially changes Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  21. .
  22. .
  23. ^ Kronick, Richard L. (May–June 2001). "Minneapolis: A City That Works". The Old-House Journal. Vol. 29, no. 3. pp. 93–96. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  24. .
  25. .