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CMP Part 3A. Environmental Protection Plan <br /> CMP Part 3(A) <br /> ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION PLAN <br /> THE NATURAL SETTING <br /> The City of Orono is perhaps unique among communities in this area in relation <br /> to the amount of relatively undisturbed natural resource areas contained within <br /> the City boundaries including lakes, marshes, wetlands, and woodlands. The <br /> presence and character of these attractive amenities has been a major factor <br /> affecting the original settlement and subsequent development of the City. The <br /> protection and preservation of these resources as part of our local heritage, and in <br /> our citizens' continuing vital interest, is the foremost goal of this Community <br /> Management Plan. <br /> LAKE MINNETONKA <br /> Lake Minnetonka is the single most significant natural feature in Orono and <br /> in the entire western part of Hennepin County. Lake Minnetonka, as shown <br /> on Map 3A-1, is actually a series of separate lakes or "bays" interconnected by <br /> narrows or channels. Some bays are up to 90 feet deep while other areas are <br /> extremely shallow. The outlet of Lake Minnetonka e�e�s is at Gray's Bay in the <br /> City of Minnetonka, where it discharges �e to Minnehaha Creek a� which <br /> eventually flows into the Mississippi River. <br /> Lake Minnetonka is the tenth largest lake in Minnesota. Lake Minnetonka <br /> has a surface area of approximately 14,310 acres (22.4 square miles) and a <br /> capacity of over 300,000 acre feet of water at the normal lake elevation of 929.4 <br /> ft. MSL. The total watershed is 123 square miles in area which includes 71 <br /> square miles of dry land, 22 square miles of marshland and 7 square miles of <br /> other water bodies. With its many bays and channels, Lake Minnetonka has <br /> approximately 130 miles of shoreline. <br /> Lake Minnetonka has substantial public value as a recreational asset, as an <br /> environmental resource and as a setting for private residential development. Lake <br /> Minnetonka's closeness to Minneapolis combined with its size have long given it <br /> a unique status among the lakes in Minnesota. In the 1880's, Minnetonka <br /> became a nationally known resort area and has been a favorite locale for summer <br /> and suburban homes for generations. From the viewpoint of the fisherman, the <br /> lower lake resembles the more northern waters of the state, whereas the upper <br /> lake and its bays resemble southern Minnesota waters. The large size of the <br /> lower lake is a major attraction for sailboaters while the variety of bays, channels <br /> and water routes offer attraction to the casual boater. <br /> City of Orono Community Management Plan 2008-2030 Page 3A-1 <br />