Wirth Lake
About Wirth Lake
Wirth Lake is a 38-acre lake located adjacent to Bassett Creek in the City of Golden Valley within Theodore Wirth Regional Park (MPRB), which is owned and maintained by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The lake is an important recreational resource to the residents of north Minneapolis and surrounding inner-ring suburbs. A public beach and parkland surrounding the lake provide opportunities for swimming, fishing, picnicking, and aesthetic viewing, and non-motorized boating.
Wirth Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet although much of the lake is shallow which supports emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation. The 405-acre watershed of Wirth Lake is almost fully developed (46% of which is developed as parkland) and the lake has four main inlets - three storm sewers and one open channel in the north.
In 2012, the BCWMC (in cooperation with the MPRB and the City of Golden Valley and with a grant from the Clean Water Legacy Fund) completed a project which modified the Wirth Lake outlet to prevent backflow from Bassett Creek into Wirth Lake during periods of high water in the creek. This project, along with other improvements in the watershed reduced total phosphorus levels in the lake considerably. The lake was removed from the Impaired Waters List for phosphorus in 2014 . The lake remains of the Impaired Waters List for high mercury and chloride levels.
The BCWMC does not typically monitor water quality on Wirth Lake but relies on the MPRB monitoring program.
Water Quality Data
Click thumbnails below to enlarge
Chlorophyll a
Water Clarity
Total Phosphorus
Links
Projects
Quick Facts
| BCWMC Classification | Priority 1 Deep Lake |
| Watershed Area (acres) | 405 |
| Lake Size (acres) | 38 |
| Average Depth (feet) | 14 |
| Maximum Depth (feet) | 26 |
| Ordinary High Water Level (feet) | 818.9 |
| Normal Water Level (feet) | 818 |
| Downstream Receiving Waterbody | Bassett Creek |
| Location (City) | Golden Valley |
| MPCA Impairments | Chloride; Mercury in Fish Tissue |
| Aquatic Invasive Species | Eurasian watermilfoil; Curlyleaf pondweed |
| Public Access | Yes |
About Wirth Lake
Wirth Lake is a 38-acre lake located adjacent to Bassett Creek in the City of Golden Valley within Theodore Wirth Regional Park (MPRB), which is owned and maintained by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The lake is an important recreational resource to the residents of north Minneapolis and surrounding inner-ring suburbs. A public beach and parkland surrounding the lake provide opportunities for swimming, fishing, picnicking, and aesthetic viewing, and non-motorized boating.
Wirth Lake has a maximum depth of 26 feet although much of the lake is shallow which supports emergent and submerged aquatic vegetation. The 405-acre watershed of Wirth Lake is almost fully developed (46% of which is developed as parkland) and the lake has four main inlets - three storm sewers and one open channel in the north.
In 2012, the BCWMC (in cooperation with the MPRB and the City of Golden Valley and with a grant from the Clean Water Legacy Fund) completed a project which modified the Wirth Lake outlet to prevent backflow from Bassett Creek into Wirth Lake during periods of high water in the creek. This project, along with other improvements in the watershed reduced total phosphorus levels in the lake considerably. The lake was removed from the Impaired Waters List for phosphorus in 2014 . The lake remains of the Impaired Waters List for high mercury and chloride levels.
The BCWMC does not typically monitor water quality on Wirth Lake but relies on the MPRB monitoring program.
Quick Facts
| BCWMC Classification | Priority 1 Deep Lake |
| Watershed Area (acres) | 405 |
| Lake Size (acres) | 38 |
| Average Depth (feet) | 14 |
| Maximum Depth (feet) | 26 |
| Ordinary High Water Level (feet) | 818.9 |
| Normal Water Level (feet) | 818 |
| Downstream Receiving Waterbody | Bassett Creek |
| Location (City) | Golden Valley |
| MPCA Impairments | Chloride; Mercury in Fish Tissue |
| Aquatic Invasive Species | Eurasian watermilfoil; Curlyleaf pondweed |
| Public Access | Yes |
Water Quality Data
Click thumbnails below to enlarge
Chlorophyll a
Water Clarity
Total Phosphorus
Links
- Minneapolis Park & Rec Board 2019 Monitoring Report
- Minneapolis Park & Rec Board 2017 Monitoring Report (see pg 16-1)
- Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Water Resource Information for Wirth Lake
- Wirth Lake TMDL Study
Projects
OUR MEMBERS
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- Golden Valley
- Medicine Lake
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- Robbinsdale
- St. Louis Park