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hen Minneapolis was founded, Bassett's Creek was a pristine stream flowing from Medicine Lake to the Mississippi River near Nicollet Island. Settlers fished and swam in its waters, and its current was used to power one of the first sawmills in the region.
But with rapid development in the 19th century, changes in the creek's watershed drastically altered its condition. Vital wetlands were filled, tributaries were diverted, and flooding increased downstream. To solve flooding, the natural meandering course of the creek was straightened and the last few miles were diverted into underground pipes that empty into the Mississippi River.
By the 1960s, nine municipalities were within the creek's watershed: Crystal, Golden Valley, Medicine Lake, Minneapolis, Minnetonka, New Hope, Plymouth, St. Louis Park, and Robbinsdale. In 1969, these municipalities formed the Bassett's Creek Water Management Commission.
Although Bassett's Creek remains an important amenity to surrounding suburbs, in Minneapolis it is largely an unknown resource. Its banks are overgrown with invasive species in some places, and eroding in others. Industrial areas sit close to its shore, access is limited, and a major portion remains hidden from view. However, with restoration, this waterway could become as vital to our region as Minnehaha Creek.
Minneapolis now has a Bassett's Creek Valley Master Plan that aims to restore some of the creek's natural meandering, as well as features such as flood plains, wetlands, wet meadows, and native vegetation. Goals include improved water quality, public parklands, walking paths, and an important habitat corridor between the Mississippi River and Theodore Wirth Park.
Citizen groups such as Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association and the Harrison Neighborhood Association are keenly interested in restoring Bassett's Creek. They are helping rebuild paths and eroded areas, participating in city planning oversight, and advocating for responsible development.
The Friends of Bassett's Creek facilitate annual cleanup efforts, promote nature walks along the creek, and are committed to creating a vibrant urban green space in the Bassett's Creek Valley. Water quality is improving and parts of the Creek can be navigated by canoe again.
Visitors can experience Bassett's Creek Valley in Theodore Wirth Park, in Bryn Mawr Park just north of Highway 394 and east of Penn Avenue, and at its Mississippi River outlet south of Broadway Avenue. Walking along the creek, it's easy to imagine how relocation of some commercial properties, care, and restoration will create a new amenity for the region.
About the photographs
In conjunction with this campaign, we invited 10 Minnesotan photographers to photograph each of our Twin Cities Treasures. This page includes low-resolution images of the Bassett's Creek area by Stephanie Torbert, who also received McKnight Artist Fellowships for photography in 1984 and 1995.
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