In the poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the grandmother of Hiawatha is named Nokomis. Inspired by this poem, the City of Minneapolis renamed Lake Amelia “Lake Nokomis” in 1910.
Originally only about 5 feet deep, the lake was dredged in 1914 to increase its depth to approximately 15 feet. When the dredging was complete in 1917, the lake’s surface area had been reduced from 300 acres to 200 acres, the surrounding marshlands and wetlands had been filled with dredged materials, and the swimming beach on the northwestern shore had been created.
In 1940, the inventor of the first Amphibious Respiratory Unit (later known as SCUBA) was tested in Lake Nokomis. The underwater rebreather allowed divers to move under the water’s surface without producing bubbles. This device led Dr. Christian Lambertsen to be known as The Father of American Combat Swimming. Dr. Lambertsen’s contributions to covert underwater swimming operations would continue for nearly forty years.
In 1973, concerns over water quality began to arise. Studies found that the development of the lake and its surrounding marshlands and wetlands had degraded its natural filtration system. Restoration efforts began in 1996 and continue today. An 8 acre marsh on the southwest bay of the lake has been created, expanded and modified in the years since. Hopefully these efforts will preserve it for the future.
For more on Lake Nokomis, visit:
http://www.friendsoflakenokomis.org/
A new master plan for this park was just approved (https://www.minneapolisparks.org/park_care__improvements/park_projects/current_projects/nokomis-hiawatha_regional_park_master_plan_and_improvements/) and has some really visionary changes identified, including expanding the naturalized area of the park from 10 to 50%! Huge increase in habitat and a small improvement in reduced amounts of phosphorus entering the lake once fully implemented.
Metro Blooms and their partners are currently working with neighbors to install raingardens and permiable paver strips to reduce the pollutant load entering the lake from the surrounding neighborhoods within the Nokomis subwatershed and pipeshed (stormwater pipes). More info can be found at http://www.metroblooms.org/nokomis.
Thanks for helping educate people about Lake Nokomis!
This is fantastic news, Steffanie, thanks so much for sharing the update!
[…] the early 1900s, the park board’s attention turned to Lake Nokomis (also later renamed for the famous poem by Longfellow). In 1908, the lake was known as Lake Amelia […]