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Spring Lake Floating Islands
Floating Island


Spring Lake, wholly owned by the Minneapolis Park Board and located in the Lowry Hill Neighborhood between 394 and Kenwood Parkway, was originally acquired by the Park Board as a 'wildlife refuge' in 1893. Much of the nearby landscape has changed dramatically since then, especially with the advent of the highway system into and out of downtown. As a result, the lake had become a severely impaired body of water with a shoreline and park ridden with invasive species.

Project partners set out in recent years to revitalize Spring Lake and its surrounding park to align with the Park Board's original intentions. This included restoring the area to its original designation as a bird and wildlife sanctuary, making it a livable fishing habitat and taking it off the MPCA impaired waters list by improving phosphorus, chlorophyll, turbidity, alkalinity and salinity to acceptable levels.

To accomplish this goal, the Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association (LHNA) allocated $25,000 of its NRP funds for the installation of 7 floating islands - or Biohavens - that will bio-remediate the surface water of the lake, provide habitat to target species and create a floating launch dock. The MN Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Midwest Floating Island, LLC and other partners coordinated the installation and planting in August 2011. The long-term maintenance of the Biohavens will occur in partnership between LHNA and Midwest Floating Islands.
INVESTMENT
$25,000 Lowry Hill NRP Phase II
LOCATION
Spring Lake, Minneapolis
PARTNERS
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (Park Board)
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
City of Minneapolis (City)
Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association (LHNA)
Blake School
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
Minneapolis Parks Foundation
Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission (Bassett Creek WMO)
Midwest Floating Islands
Minnesota Native Landscapes