Elm Creek Restoration and Dam

Devoting 14 years to leading a five-phase Elm Creek restoration project for the City of Champlin left an indelible mark on WSB. The project’s scope included significant ecological enhancements and flood management improvements to transform Elm Creek into a thriving community asset. 

Environmental Exploration 

The City of Champlin championed the mill pond and 2.7-mile creek restoration, demonstrating immense dedication to innovative public works and trust in WSB’s counsel. The project restored degraded stream and lake systems and improved habitat, fishery, and overall water quality. The project included conducting environmental studies and assessments and consistent monitoring to protect natural and culturally sensitive sites. This work is a prime example of blending environmental conservation with cultural preservation, exemplifying Champlin and WSB’s shared commitment to sustainability. 

“We incorporated habitat restoration methods that the city of Champlin had never thought of incorporating in natural resource projects. We helped the City of Champlin understand the purpose and importance of those features, educate the community, and they trusted WSB to see them through” – Luke Lunde, Senior Professional Soil Scientist at WSB. 

Replacing the Elm Creek dam reduced flood risk and removed dozens of homes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated floodplain, protecting residents and strengthening community trust.  

Championing a Community 

Elm Creek also required easements from private landowners, engagement with nonprofits, and coordination with Three Rivers Park District, Conservation Corps, Mill Pond Lake, and the State of Minnesota, keeping community relations a top priority. 

“This is an excellent example of long-term partnership. Fourteen years, phased systematically from downstream to upstream, with a vision that really brought positive change.” – Amy Anderson, Senior Professional Engineer I for WSB. 

The team also guided Champlin through a complex, multi-source funding journey, which continues to be a hallmark of WBS’s history of service. Utilizing city, watershed district, and multiple state sources, WSB helped the city secure funding in a phased approach to ensure funding sources would stake their role as funding partners in the project.  

Phases for the Future 

Today, the area is home to annual festivals, family photo ops, kayaking, and more, while also tying into Champlin’s broader greenway and trail systems. The Elm Creek model is a blueprint for phased community-centered restoration projects across the region. 

“This shows how devoted WSB is to our clients. The groundwork we put into these relationships matters. Projects like Elm Creek helped build WSB’s reputation for leadership, trust, and long-standing partnerships,” Lunde said. 

Elm Creek is both a celebration of what’s been achieved and a blueprint for what comes next. The project was recognized as the Minnesota Chapter of the American Public Works Association’s 2024 Environmental Project of the Year. The 14-year project mirrors WSB’s own trajectory of growing capabilities, deepening client trust, and expanding innovation. 

For the community of Champlin, it was a transformational investment. For WSB, it was proof that long-term partnerships and careful planning could move entire cities, and the company itself, forward. This defining project represents the long-term, visionary work that has defined WSB’s 30 years. Projects like Elm Creek charted the course for WSB’s reputation as a leader in environmental resources and community-centered design.