Wassermann Lake Preserve
The Wasserman Lake Preserve provides an interactive nature area with a boardwalk and trail system, a picnic shelter, a fishing pier, and two natural play areas.
It is truly a place where people of all ages from our community can gather together and explore the best that our natural environment has to offer. This preserve goes beyond benefitting just our community though. Wasserman Lake Preserve is also the culmination of the project’s major restoration efforts to restore the area to its former glory. And as part of the Minnehaha Creek Watershed that spreads from St. Bonifacius to south Minneapolis, the state of the lake affects much more than our tiny part of Minnesota.
Park Features
Enjoy all that Wassermann Lake Preserve has to offer as a Signature Community Park for our community members.
Park Amenities
 Playgrounds (Natural) |
 Fishing Pier |
 Trails |
 Snowshoe Area |
 Open Space |
 Fire Pit |
 Park Shelter |
Park Facilities
 Benches |
 Picnic Tables |
 Trash Bins |
 Public Restrooms |
 Drinking Fountains |
Park Visitors
Wassermann Lake Preserve has a variety of park amenities and facilities for community members of all ages.
Playground Equipment Appropriate for the Following Ages
- Early Childhood (2-5 Years)
- School-Age (5-12 Years)
Park Location
Address: 9175 Church Lake Blvd, Victoria, MN 55386
Parking: Parking Lot
Neighborhood: Lake Wassermann Ridge
Know Before You Go
Park Hours
- Open 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Daily
- Use Park at Your Own Risk
- No Glass Containers Allowed in Park
- No Motorized Vehicles Allowed in Park
- No Skateboarding on Benches
- No Camping or Hunting
- Other Restrictions as Stated in Chapter 18 of the City of Victoria Municipal Code
- Pets Must be Leashed or Caged
- Clean Up After Pets
Rent the Wassermann Lake Preserve Shelter
The Oak Side of the Wassermann Lake Preserve Shelter is available to rent for private events. The Fire Side remains open to the public during all rentals. The Oak Side is best used for small gatherings due to limited public parking and limited seating available.
Learn how to rent the park shelter.
History of the Preserve
The Wassermann Lake Preserve was the first major project in the Six Mile Creek – Halsted Bay Subwatershed that exemplifies the Minnehaha Creek Watershed 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.
Friends of Wassermann Lake Preserve
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 for the park gardens or an outdoor education leader.
Wassermann Lake Preserve Resources
- View sketch drawings of park concept design. (PDF)
- View park concept design boards at open house. (PDF)
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City of Victoria Parks & Recreation Department The park system woven throughout Victoria, Minnesota is managed and maintained by, or in partnership with, the City of Victoria Parks & Recreation Department. |