SHORELAND AND FLOODPLAIN PRESERVATION

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances ch. 12, art. I

in effect

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-1 Purpose.

PB12-1. - Purpose. This ordinance is adopted to: enhance and preserve the environmental qualities of surface waters and shoreland areas under the jurisdiction of the MPRB; provide for the reasonable use of such waters and shoreland areas; comply with the requirements of state law regarding the management of shoreland areas; and protect the public health, safety and welfare. (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-2 Definitions.

PB12-2. - Definitions. As used in this Article, the following words and phrases shall mean: "Bluff" means a steep outcropping, hill, cliff or embankment adjacent to a protected water, with an average slope of eighteen percent (18%) or greater measured over a horizontal distance of fifty (50) feet or more, and that rises at least twenty-five (25) feet above the ordinary high water mark of the protected water. "Floodplain" means an area delineated as a floodplain by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Ordinary high-water mark" means the point of the highest water level, which has existed for a sufficient period of time to leave evidence upon the landscape. The ordinary high-water mark is commonly that point where natural vegetation change from predominantly aquatic to predominantly terrestrial. "Protected shoreland" means land owned by or under the control of the MPRB that is (a) within one thousand (1,000) feet of the ordinary high water mark of a protected waters; (b) within one thousand (1,000) feet of the top of a steep slope; or (c) on a bluff. "Protected water" means the following lakes, ponds, streams and rivers and any other public waters or wetlands (as classified by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources or the United Stated Fish and Wildlife Service) within the jurisdiction of the MPRB: Brownie Lake, Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Lake Calhoun, Lake Harriet, Lake Nokomis, Lake Hiawatha, Diamond Lake, Powderhorn Lake, Spring Lake, Birch Pond, Loring Pond, Webber Pond, Bassett Creek, Minnehaha Creek, Shingle Creek and the Mississippi River. "Structure" means any building, road, path, walkway, stairs, retaining wall, pier, dock, or other permanent fixture or improvement. "Steep slope" means land having an average slope of eighteen percent (18%) or greater measured over a horizontal distance of fifty (50) feet or more having a drop from the high point to the low point of at least ten (10) feet that is adjacent to a protected water. "Top of a steep slope" means the contour at which the slope ceases to be eighteen percent (18%). (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-3 Prohibition Against Structures.

PB12-3. - Prohibition Against Structures. No person shall install or maintain any structure on any floodplain or protected shoreland, unless a permit has been issued to such person by the MPRB. (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-4 Permit Criteria.

PB12-4. - Permit Criteria. In acting on an application for a permit, the Board shall consider factors which shall include, but are not limited, to the following: (a) the public benefit to be derived from the proposed structure; (b) the impact of the structure, both during and after construction, on soil erosion or other possible pollution of protected waters; (c) the suitability of the floodplain or protected shoreland and the protected waters to safely accommodate the uses and traffic that the structure may generate; (d) the impact of the structure on the views of landmarks, open spaces, vistas and protected waters; and (e) the scale and character of the structure and its compatibility with the surrounding floodplain or protected shoreland, the protected waters and any improvements thereto. (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-5 Vegetation on Protected Shoreland.

PB12-5. - Vegetation on Protected Shoreland. No person shall remove or damage any vegetation on any floodplain or protected shoreland, unless a permit has been issued to such person by the MPRB. (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-6 Grading and Filling.

PB12-6. - Grading and Filling. No person shall dump any fill material on or grade any floodplain or protected shoreland, unless a permit has been issued to such person by the MPRB. (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances, art. I, § PB12-7 Environmental Protection.

PB12-7. - Environmental Protection. Nothing herein shall prevent or preclude the MPRB from taking any of the following actions on a floodplain or protected shoreland: building or maintaining any structure; removing vegetation (not including routine mowing of grass and trimming of trees, shrubs, bushes or similar vegetation); or grading or filling. However, upon undertaking any such action, the MPRB shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations and, to the extent reasonably feasible as determined by the MPRB, shall employ measures to minimize stormwater runoff into protected waters, maximize overland flow and flow distances over surfaces covered with vegetation, employ on-site filtration techniques, replicate predevelopment hydrologic conditions, minimize off-site discharge of pollutants to ground and surface waters, and encourage natural filtration functions. (Pk. Bd. Ord. No. 2001-102, § 1, 9-19-01)

Source: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PAREBOCOOR_CH12ENPR_ARTISHFLPRFetched: 11/1/2026