Wednesday on the boardwalk with Steve

Steven J. Timmer - August 18, 2017

N.B. This article has been modified again on 8/25, as I learned more about the creek and flood
plain issues as the creek passes by Methodist Hospital. Changes are marked 8/25.

This is a follow up to a memorandum I wrote about the Minnehaha Creek restoration proposed
by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District for the creek as it passes through Arden Park in
Edina. I really hope that you will read it if you havent. When you do read that first memo, youll
see that I tried to get on the boardwalk one afternoon a few days ago to examine an earlier
project undertaken by the MCWD in St. Louis Park where the creek flows past Methodist
Hospital. Residents in Edina were actually encouraged to do that by the MCWD. There is an
inviting sign when you get there.

But the boardwalk was locked up tight. I returned with a few others on Wednesday afternoon,
August 16th, to look around and collect some water samples. The gate was locked up again.

Since no one would have to be alone in the jail cell, we decided to hop the gate. I could imagine
the signs: Free the Edina Four!
We just got friendly waves from a few Methodist Hospital employees, though, so it was fine.
When you get on to the boardwalk, one of the first things you notice is how hard it is to see, or
even find, the creek. Heres another sign, this one touting the advantages of remeandering.

When you look up from the sign though, the creek is nowhere to be seen. Its a big cattail
marsh. There is little current through the marsh. Wetlands are important in a functioning
aquatic ecosystem, though, of course.

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In fact, there already is an area of wetlands on the south side of Arden Park. This area doesnt
seem as desirable to the MCWD, however. Ive heard it described as the creek just being out of
its banks.

There is a whole lot of creek out of its banks in St. Louis Park.

Heres a photo of the east side of the creek, next to the hospital. 8/25: This according to the
MCWD is the flood plain east of the actual creek channel.

Heres another view:

(continues on next page)

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This is not a wetland; its just mud. But it is a little surprising how muddy this is, since the creek
has been bouncing along at 12 to 20 cfs for many days now. (Because of the rains, it may be a
higher as I write this, actually.) 8/25: But its August. Why is there water in the flood plain?

Here are a couple of photos taken next to the new floodwall recently constructed by the
hospital.

(continues on the next page)

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This looks a little like the scene of a waterfront mugging, but I think what happened is that
somebody was in here setting plants. This is just a little way from the last photo, also on the
Methodist side.

The next photo shows similar activity.

But perhaps this is a useful illustration of the fact that these projects are not set and forget.
The original restoration at Methodist Hospital was done in 2009.

(continues on next page)

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Jeepers, what are those nozzles? you ask. They do look sort of nasty. I think they are the
discharge for sump pumps for the Methodist Hospital site. One of the other members of the
Edina Four went up to take a look and when he got too close, one of the nozzles gave a bilious
snort, causing the member of the Edina Four to scramble for safety, and then it erupted.

I dont know what is in this water, but it isnt just water, because it stains the rocks. Here are
two rocks from the area (collected at some personal risk by the member of the Edina Four); one
of them has been urinated on by the nozzles over time, and the other has not.

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Rocks, as we know, dont ordinarily rust.

I will admit that my opinion of the MCWD as environmental champions took a little hit when
observing this scene. This stuff blows right into the creek in an area the MCWD wants to
showcase. I remind my Edina friends: this is upstream from us.

Addendum 8/20: Sometimes it takes me a while to process what Ive seen. But this began to
raise some questions in my mind: Why is the creek so far out of its bank and the bank so muddy
when the flow has been 20 cfs or less for maybe a couple of weeks? Why is somebody
replanting the bank a half-dozen years after the restoration was done? Why is the bank eroding
as it passes by Methodist Hospital? Why did the hospital install a new floodwall and a couple of
giant sump pumps? 8/25: And why are sump pumps running in August? They apparently do so
frequently, based on the darkened, discolored water in the place where the discharge occurs.

I think these are good questions. And somebody with the juice to get them answered ought to
ask them, because they bear directly on the Arden Park project.

Here is a Google map of the creek as it passes by the hospital. I have drawn a circle around the
area of these photos.

(End of the addendum)

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There was other evidence of the fact that projects like this require maintenance. Heres the
boardwalk, just a half-dozen years old.

If the project is done, and it is handed off to the city, you know who will be responsible for the
maintenance, right?

As I mentioned, we collected water samples from the Methodist Hospital site, and one from
Arden Park, just above the dam.

(continues on next page)

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You can see the samples collected on the next page.

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Ignore the top of the jars; these are just reflections from the sky and trees.

But, I want you to write to me at stevenjtimmer at gmail dot com and tell me which one came
from Arden Park. (Ill tell you the right answer later.)

I guess the moral of the story is that the Arden Park project may not turn out the way people
expect; it could have some problems, perhaps serious ones, and it is likely to be more difficult
and expensive to maintain than we think.

sjt

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