Minnehaha Creek

Minnehaha Creek
Minnehaha Creek as it flows over Minnehaha Falls, shown in all four seasons.
Etymology	waterfall or rapid water, for its journey over Minnehaha Falls
Native name	Mniȟáȟa Wakpádaŋ (Dakota) Wakpa Cistinna
Location
Country	United States
State	Minnesota
Region	Minneapolis, Edina, Hopkins, and Minnetonka
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Lake Minnetonka
• coordinates	44.9544078°N 93.4860652°W / 44.9544078; -93.4860652
• elevation	686 feet (209 m)
Mouth
• location	Mississippi River
• coordinates	44.9088543°N 93.2004996°W / 44.9088543; -93.2004996
Length	22 miles (35 km)
Basin size	181 square miles (470 km2)
Basin features
River system	Mississippi River at Minneapolis
Tributaries
• right	brief stream originating at Lake Pamela
GNIS	647923

Minnehaha Creek (Dakota: Mniȟáȟa Wakpádaŋ) is a 22-mile-long (35 km) tributary of the Mississippi River that flows east from Gray's Bay Dam on Lake Minnetonka through the suburban cities of Minnetonka, Hopkins, Saint Louis Park, and Edina, and the city of Minneapolis. The creek flows over Minnehaha Falls in Minnehaha Park near its mouth at the Mississippi River.

History

Further information on the etymology of the word minnehaha: Minnehaha

As with much of the Midwest, the area around the creek and Lake Minnetonka was originally inhabited by a native culture affiliated with the Mound Builders, but by the 1700s was occupied by the Mdewakanton People, a sub-tribe of the Dakota. The first Euro-Americans whose expedition to the area was documented were Joe Brown and Will Snelling, who canoed up the creek from Fort Snelling.

Watershed

The creek's watershed covers 181 square miles (470 km²), including the basin of Lake Minnetonka, and is managed by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District.