City of Victoria, MN

The Wassermann Lake Preserve was the first major project in the Six Mile Creek – Halsted Bay Subwatershed that exemplifies the District’s balanced urban ecology framework.

This can be seen in the commitment to partnership between the City of Victoria and the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) to realize natural resource benefits while meeting community goals. Wassermann West Lakefront Park would provide water quality improvements, while providing public access and recreation opportunities on Lake Wassermann.

The groundwork for this project began when the District signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City of Victoria in 2015, which identified the mutual value both agencies find in cooperative planning on water quality issues and land use planning. The MOU identified Lake Wassermann as an area of mutual priority due to its poor water quality and location within the growth corridor of Victoria.  The lake is listed on the State Impaired Waters list, and the degraded lake conditions are primarily caused by a high invasive common carp population and a high phosphorus load coming from both internal and external sources.

In 2016, the District formed the Six Mile – Halsted Bay Planning Partnership, which brings together a variety of organizations located in the subwatershed to engage in proactive communication about plans, priorities, and opportunities for collaboration in the region. During routine coordination with the City of Victoria, staff from the City and MCWD identified 33.5 acres of undeveloped land for sale along the Lake Wassermann shoreline. The parcel includes Wassermann West Pond and adjacent wetlands, and restoring these areas could result in significant reduction in phosphorus entering Lake Wassermann, while also providing the public access to the lake, which was a goal identified in the City of Victoria’s 2008 Comprehensive Plan.

The City of Victoria’s Parks & Recreation Department recruits passionate volunteers each year to help keep Victoria’s recreational areas safe and beautiful. One of these opportunities is joining Friends of Wassermann Lake Preserve. Volunteer commitments include becoming a caregiver or an outdoor education leader.

• Care for park gardens
• Teach classes like photography or orienteering

Contact Ann Mahnke, Parks & Recreation Director, at amahnke@ci.victoria.mn.us for more information.

• View sketch drawings of park concept design. (PDF)
• View park concept design boards at open house. (PDF)