Friends of Bassett Creek

Cleaning and Greening
a Mississippi River Tributary in Minneapolis

- - - - - Less than two hundred years ago Bassett Creek was home to abundant plant and animal life, and provided a clean water source to the Mississippi River. The creek has since then been greatly changed by human development. Much of its original meandering, flood plains, adjacent wetlands and watershed vegetation have been destroyed. Bassett Creek flows through a huge concrete underground storm sewer beneath downtown Minneapolis for a mile and a half before entering the Mississippi River. By the time it reaches the Mississippi Bassett Creek, like many urban creeks, is contaminated by polluted runoff from the industrial sites, buildings, streets, alleys, driveways, sidewalks, pathways and parking lots that now cover much of the watershed.
- - - - - The Friends of Bassett Creek would like to improve the stream's water quality. This goal focuses not only on the creek, but also on the watershed that drains into the creek. A green corridor along the creek would act as a vegetated buffer from polluted runoff, and also enrich the lives of the people who live in the neighborhood with an amenity for recreation, relaxation and reflection.

Please visit our website at
http://www.mninter.net/~stack/bassett
Or call us at: (612) 377-4096, 374-4849 or 374-5894
Please feel free to print out, copy, post or distribute this page as a handbill. - - last update 30jan01