Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Stewardship Projects
The Kestrel Design Group, Inc.

In the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” in the City of Lakes (Minneapolis), there is a chain of waters that form the cornerstone of the historic and extensive Minneapolis Grand Rounds parks system.  The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board have spearheaded a watershed-wide approach to treat stormwater as asset rather than as waste.  The paradigm has shifted from an entirely “gray” infrastructure (pipes and basins) to a hybrid “gray/green” infrastructure (natural systems).  The park landscape of the Grand Rounds has become an ecological services provider for water quality, based on a scientifically rigorous and carefully designed series of interconnected projects on the shores of Minneapolis’ lakes and creeks.