Welcome to Rice Lake or is this Elm Creek?
Rice Lake is a historical lake basin that has been dammed to make it a recreational resivoir. It has been home to people for thousands of years. Evidence by the First Nations burial mounds located mostly on the south end of the lake. Enjoy this spot and take a load off.
- How large is Rice Lake?
- The main basin of the lake is 315 acres.
- This makes it the largest of the 7 lakes in Maple Grove.
- It ranks 10th in size in Hennepin County. •
- How deep is the lake?
- There are several locations where the lake is about 11' deep.
- Is there Public Access available on Rice Lake?
- There is a public access for carry-on watercraft at the Arboretum park. There is no public boat launch on the lake; however, a private boat launch is currently available to dues paying members who own lake shore/creek shore and can moor their watercraft at their personal residence.
- How large is the Elm Creek Watershed, which includes Rice Lake?
- 130.68 square miles lying in the north central portion of Hennepin County.
- 8 municipalities (Champlin, Corcoran, Dayton, Hassan, Maple Grove, Medina, Plymouth, Rogers).
History
- Does the lake's name have anything to do with growing rice?
- It is believed that First Nations did grow rice where the lake now stands.
- Has Rice Lake always been the same footprint, or size?
- No, the lake was originally about 50 acres in size before going through several transformations: ▪
- 1913 - Lake was drained to be used as farmland ▪
- 1929 thru early 1930's - The lake bed was mostly all exposed during the 'Dust Bowl' ▪
- 1965 - A public meeting was held to pursue building a dam on the north end of Elm Creek (current location by the Maple Grove High School). The main reason for this project was to bring Rice Lake to an elevation of 891 feet above sea level, the same as Fish Lake. •
- How long has the dam existed up next to the high school? o
- The original dam was built after 1965. Somewhere during the 1970's the dam was modified to its current form.