The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is the regional governmental unit responsible for managing and protecting the water resources of the Minnehaha Creek watershed, located in the area including and immediately west of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The District was established in 1967 under the Minnesota Watershed District Act, which recognizes that hydrologic boundaries rarely match political boundaries. The 1955 act established watershed districts to integrate water management efforts between city, county and state agencies. The District covers approximately 178 square miles that ultimately drain into the Minnehaha Creek (which then enters the Mississippi River). The watershed includes natural treasures such as Minnehaha Creek, Lake Minnetonka, The Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and Minnehaha Falls. There are eight major creeks, 129 lakes and thousands of wetlands within the MCWD.