To SaveHiawatha18 Supporters
What's Next?
What is next for the supporters of Hiawatha Golf Course?
SaveHiawatha18 is, currently, focusing our efforts in 2 areas:
We are working towards keeping Hiawatha Golf Course open, and we want improvements to be made to the golf course with the $1.1 Million in FEMA money that was authorized for Hiawatha Golf Course. This allocation of money is due to expire in 2018, if not used.
Also, during our work to save Hiawatha Golf Course, we became aware of water problems occurring with the homes and the church south and west of the lagoon on Lake Nokomis. We realized that the Lake Nokomis neighborhood is currently experiencing problems that would occur in the Hiawatha neighborhood if the golf course was closed and flooded. We also realized that the concerns with the water levels at Lake Hiawatha (that is, pumping) and the high water levels at Lake Nokomis are a result of the same problem, too much water coming into this area from surrounding communities.
Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha are the ultimate collecting point for huge amounts of water in the Minnehaha Creek watershed. Water is currently coming from Minneapolis, Richfield, and all communities upstream along Minnehaha Creek, up to Lake Minnetonka. Lake Hiawatha is the last lake to receive all of this water. We believe that making Lake Hiawatha responsible for handling water from all of these communities is irresponsible and unacceptable. Also, we found that Lake Nokomis is treated as the poor sister to Lake Minnetonka by the Minnehaha Watershed District, that is, Lake Nokomis cannot release water into Minnehaha Creek while Lake Minnetonka is releasing water. This holds Lake Nokomis hostage, and creates abnormal water levels in that lake that back up water into the neighborhood.
So, we have been working with government officials in various agencies to change their focus. Rather than dealing with each water problem on a case by case basis, we want them to focus on solving the water problems on a metro-wide basis. The goal is to alleviate the burden of handling all of this water by the Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha neighborhoods. We believe that this new focus would alleviate the water problems occurring at Lake Nokomis and Lake Hiawatha, and allow the Hiawatha Golf Course to continue on as it has for the past 80+ years.
We will continue focusing our efforts on working with government officials towards these ends.
Please continue to display your Save Hiawatha Golf Course signs, as you are able, through the winter. And, if you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know through SaveHiawatha18.com, or on the SaveHiawathaGolf Facebook page!
Thanks for all of your support, and for the efforts of the candidates that ran in support of Hiawatha Golf Course!!!
SaveHiawatha18.com